Gresini reveals livery for Marc Marquez’s first Ducati MotoGP season

The six-time premier class champion negotiated an early end to his contract with Honda after years of frustration on the RC213V.

Despite Red Bull having left the factory Honda team, and title sponsor Repsol reportedly negotiating a reduction in its financial commitment due to Marquez’s escape, the Gresini Ducatis have been unveiled with a similar livery to recent years.

Marc Marquez’s bike will feature his trademark #93 on the fairing in its usual font and colour, while brother and team-mate Alex Marquez’s #73 is now blue rather than white.

Gresini continues to field year-old Desmosedicis this year and, although it now fields riders who boast a total of 10 world championships, there remains no title sponsor.

Nevertheless, there is much excitement about the impact which Marc Marquez will make on the motorcycle which was the benchmark in MotoGP in 2023.

“Of course, it’s a new chapter, especially in my career,” he said.

“The project is exciting and motivation is super high, but I also feel especially calm.

“I made a very important decision. I chose a way and we will see if it’s the good one or not in the future, but the project is to try to find again that motivation and that racing spirit in the races, and fight for a good position.”

“I’m like a child with new shoes, as we say in Spain,” he added as part of the launch.

“I won a lot but the last three to four years have been hard for me. Having fun again on the bike [was my priority] and Gresini was the only one that waited for me.

“Let’s have an amazing year, but ‘if you eat too fast, you don’t feel well’… The expectation is high but I know I have to work tirelessly to do what we can do.”

Marc Marquez’s signing marks a reunion of Honda’s 2020 line-up, after which Alex Marquez was moved to its satellite team LCR before he left for Gresini.

Last year, he won two Sprints, finished on the podium in two Grands Prix, picked up a pole position, and ended up ninth in the championship despite missing three rounds due to injury.

“I know what Marc’s been through since 2020,” said the 27-year-old at the launch.

“I knew what he needed. I talked to him as a brother and then he chose [Gresini].

“It’s a dream for me to be team-mates again.”

Marc Marquez said after his post-season test day on the Ducati that he had adapted “much faster than expected.”

Gresini will next be in action in pre-season testing at Sepang on February 6-8.

GALLERY: Gresini Racing 2024 MotoGP season launch

Images: Supplied