Honda’s star rider is contracted until the end of 2024 on the most lucrative contract on the current MotoGP grid but speculation about his future continues🌱, particularly while he is stuck on a non꧟-competitive bike.

Last week at Mugello he threw up his hands in anger🍒 at his bike after crashing again.

“We still feel that Marc is part of the 🅘Honda family,” Koji Watanabe told . 

“Of course, Honda respects the opinion ofᩚᩚᩚᩚ🀅ᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ its riders. 

ཧ“We do not feel any fear, but we will respect his decision.”

Watanabe confirmed Honda’s hope to keep Marquez until 🧜he ret🦄ires: “Yes, of course, yes.”

But an extended contract iꦛs not yet on the table: “There is no rush.”

Wata🍰nabe confirmed that Marquez would not sign a new contract until 2024.

“Yes, but we are always talking to each otheꩵr,” he said.

“Good communication is i༒mportant in the Honda 🀅family.”

Watan✤abe played a key role in the Honda engines used by Red Bull’s F1 team, whose driver Max Verstappen is set to win three championships in a row.

Marquez told about Honda: “Look what they do in Formula O🐻ne where they [supply] the best engine for Red Bull. So I believe in them.”

The difficulty with Marquez’s future is that he will be ඣ32 by the time he could join a new team, and would demand hefty compensation.

His hopes of becoming a seven-time champion remain due to his brilliance but the toll o𓆏f injuries is also racking up.

KTM dropped🔯 a hint that they would be open to discussing his post-2024 future, while Ducati have repeatedly ruled th♐emselves out.

Heading into the German MotoGP at Sachsenring, whe𒁃re Marquez has won eight times, Honda know their priority is to improve 💦their current machine.

Watanabe was asked when they can c♊atch Ducati, and replied: “It's pretty hard to say, time-wise. 

“But, now🦋 we have almost found wha♔t the problem is.

“Yes, yes. The next step is 🤪how we can fix the problem, but we need some tꦇime to fix it properly. 

“💮Hopefully by the end of this season, we'll have a chance to catch them. 

“But, of course, it's not that easy.”

Honda riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins will both be absent in Germany afte♏r picking up injuries due to crashes last weekend.

🦄“We need to improve the bike itself, for everyone,” Watanabe said.