Marc Marquez has played down comments made by Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti suggesting he has an ‘opportunity’ to join the Gresini team for 2024.

Marquez was speaking after equalling his best result of the season with third in the Sprint race at the Indian MotoGP.

The Repsol Honda rider, who qualified sixth on the second row, held off KTM’s Brad Binder for the final rostrum place at the Buddh International Circuit, matching his third-place finish in the Sprint race at the season-opener at Portimao in Portugal in March.

Earlier, Ciabatti added more weight to increased speculation the eight-time world champion could join his brother Alex at Gresini next season, telling MotoGP.com: “As far as Gresini goes, I think it obviously looks like they have this opportunity and they are waiting for Marquez’s decision.”

Ducati’s factory team boss Davide Tardozzi also had his say on the matter, admitting ‘no one knows what will happen at this moment’.

“Gresini has the right to choose the best rider possible and, if Marc proposes himself, they have the right and duty to take him into consideration,” he told Sky Italia.

However, following the Sprint race, Marquez refused to be drawn on the latest comments from Ducati top brass.

“Of course, I heard those comments but nobody’s inside my head,” he said.

“I’m very clever and I know what I want and I know which is the correct time.”

Reflecting on the race, Marquez said he knew he had an opportunity to return to the podium after VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marini crashed on the first lap, pushing pole man and team-mate Marco Bezzecchi off the track.

“It was unexpected,” said Marquez, who finished behind Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia on the Lenovo Ducati.

“I was so concentrated before the race, but I didn’t expect to be on that podium; I expected in the best case to be in the top five positions.

“But we were able to take profit from Marini’s mistake, that affected Bezzecchi. From that point, I said ‘maybe it is possible’ and I was pushing a lot.

“I had to take a lot of risks, especially at the end to defend and I set my fastest lap of the race on the last lap. But I was able to be consistent and ride well, which is the main point and take away,” he added.

“It is not the way to ride tomorrow, but let’s see. This year, we must try to enjoy these moments.”