Will Marquez stay at Honda next year?

"My int🥂ention is ﷺyes,” he said at Silverstone. Marquez’s current deal with Honda makes him the highest-paid MotoGP rider today, and runs until the end of 2024.

Did KTM try to change his mind?

KTM motorsport dir🦩e💙ctor Pit Beirer admitted he did try to lure Marquez for 2024.

"Unfortunate🍒ly, I'm afraid that Marc will not be in our line-up next year because he has a contract,” he said. “We discus💧sed it and he gave us a clear answer and that's it.”

But what about 2025?

Marquez will be a free agent unlesᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ🌳⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚs he signs a new Honda deal. This is where KTM could swoop.

“You are talking about 2025? The rumours for 2024 still haven’t finished,” Marquez said in Austria♐. “Every week there is a di🦩fferent rumour!”

But it’s more than a rum𝓰our now. We know KTM are ꧃interested, and believe they can offer Marquez a more competitive bike in 2025 than Honda.

Will Marquez be tempted by KTM?

He made his admiration for the manufacturer clear: "When KTM started they were last on the grid. Little by little, the𒉰y have been getting closer.

“Now they are the second best constructor in the championship, but very🐎 soon, more than people might think, they will be first.

"In competiti🍨on, the key is ambition. If you have ambition you will get there.”

What do KTM’s factory riders think?

Jaꦬck Miller said “of course it wo꧅uld” be good for KTM if they signed Marquez.

“If Marc were to come to K🐟TM, it’d be fantastic for KTM to sign a big name like that. And again, it would mean that we are doing something right. Making this bike desirable enough for some෴one who has won eight world titles, to switch.”

Bra🍃d🐼 Binder reacted to Marquez’s praise of KTM: "I can definitely believe it. With the effort they put in, it’s incredible.”

Can KTM afford Marquez?

Marquez will be 32 in 2025, and six years on since his most recent MotoGP c๊hampionship.

In that time he💞 has suffered a plethora of damaging🌸 injuries.

This will be factore🌄d into Marquez’s value - but so will his brilliance, and the potential for him to deliver KTM’s first premier class title.

Red B♚ull may be the X-factor to get this deal over the line.

Can Honda still cling on to Marquez?

Time is runnin𒆙g out to show evidence for the improvements that Marquez needs to see.

Yasuharu Watanabe, the HRC president, confirmed Honda won’t quit MotoGP and 𒊎insisted: “We have no choice but to build fast bikes and machines that can win.

“Every time I go to the MotoGP sit♏e, I always have a long talk with Marc. 

"We have to build𒐪 and deliver the machine you want, and we'll do it as soon as🔜 possible.”

Why don’t Ducati want Marquez?

They have regularly claimed that signing a 31-year-old who earns big money does ꧃not align with the strategy that put Ducati back on top of the MotoGP world.

They prefer to promote younger, hungrꦕy riders - which, clearly, worked with Francesco Bagnaia.

But the Pramac seat…

Where things become interesting is the unexpected vacancy at Pramac Raci𓂃ng, on a latest-spec Desmosedici.

The best bike on the 2024 grid has no confirmed rider, 🍸ast♍onishingly.

Johann Zarco left it to join LCR Honda, and Marco Bezzecchi may stay at VR46 rather tꦆhan join Pramac.

Marquez has even been linked to Gresini, quite unexpectedly and s🤡ensationally. He would partner his brother🍸 Alex there.

Can Ducati be tempted to ask Marquez?