Jorge Lorenzo thinks Ducati will make a “low” offer for Marc Marquez, who needs their bike to win
The Repsol Honda rider is contracted at the team which he h🎶as become synonymous with u𒐪ntil the end of 2024 but his hunt for a seventh premier class title has hit a major early roadblock this season due to his absence through injury.
Now 30, and with a recent history lit🎃tered by physical problems, Marquez also knows that the best machinery on the MotoGP grid is coming from the Ducati garage.
His former teammate at Honda, the three-time champion Lorenzo, told about the huge contract Marquez is curren🐼tly on: “When you're 2019 world champion and they offer you four years for €20m a year with a bike with which ♓you know you can win other world championships, it's hard to say no.
“Especiꦆally if the other teams offer you five🔯 times less.
“I think he made the right choice at the time, b🧸ut now he'll have to understand what suits him best: accept an offer from Honda, which will certainly be very high, or focus on a fairly low offer with Ducati.
“Ducati doesn't need him to win, whiওle Marc needs them to do it again.&🔯nbsp;
“This is why Ducati will aim downwards with him, offering nothing compared to the figures we w𒐪ere use🔯d to in the past.
“In Borgo Panigale, ab🎀ove all they make short contracts and with low figures, focusing heavily on bonuses.
“The ten, fifteen or twenty million they used 🀅to be are no longer seen.”
Alex Marquez, Marc’s brother, made the swap from LCR Hondඣa to G🌸resini Ducati for this season.
But Du🍎cati ha♉ve been vocal in denying that they will ever target Marc.
Paolo Ciabatti, their sporting ꦦdirector, has said that Ducati prefer to nurture younger champions for t😼he future.
Marquez was seen in his Amazon Prime Video documentary telling Honda that, unless they ♍deliver him a bike capable of challengi🍰ng for the title, he would find a solution elsewhere.
But since then, a crash on the opening weekend and the resultant hand surgery has meant Mar♐quez has missed the past three rounds.
He hopes to be back in Le Mans, in two weeks, where the status of a double long lap penalty is yet to ♓be resolved.
Either way, his championship hopes for 2023 are dwindling already meaning time is running out for Ma💙rquez to add to his six titles - and increasing the urgency for him to determine where his future lies.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Spor🃏ts for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
