Will Marquez stay at Honda next year?

"My intention is yes,” h꧅e 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♔ director Pit Beirer admitꦐted he did try to lure Marquez for 2024.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid that Marc will not be i༺n our line-up next year because he has a contract,” he said. “We discussed it 𓆏and he gave us a clear answer and that's it.”

But what about 2025?

Marquez will be a free agent unless he signs a new Honda deal. This is wh🙈ere KTM could swoop.

“You are talking about 2025? The rumours for 2024 still haven’t finished,” Marquez said in Austr💯ia. “Every week there is a different ru𝐆mour!”

But it’s more than a rumour now. We know KTM are interꦓested, anܫd 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 K🥀TM started they were last on the grid. Little by little, they have been getting c🔥loser.

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

"I🦩n comp🍰etition, the key is ambition. If you have ambition you will get there.”

What do KTM’s factory riders think?

Jack Miller said “of course it would” be good for KTM if they signed Maཧrquez.

“If Marc were to come to KTM, it’d be fantastic forꦜ 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 someone who has won eight world titles, to switꦉch.”

Brad 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 sinc🉐e his most recent MotoGP champi🐬onship.

In that time he has suf𝓡fered a plethora of damaging injuries.

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

Red Bull may be the X-factor to get this deal over the li🐲ne.

Can Honda still cling on to Marquez?

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

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

“Every time I go to the MotoGP site💎, I always have a long talk with M🐬arc. 

"We have to build and deliver the machine you want, and we'll do itꦿ 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, hungry riders - which, clea🧔rly, worked with Francesco Bagnaᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚia.

But the Pramac seat…

Where things become interesti🔴ng is the unexpected vacancy at Pramac Racing, on a latest-spec Desmosed൩ici.

T꧋he best bike on the 2024 grid has no confirmed rider, astonishingly.

Johann Zarco left it to join LCﷺR Honda, and Marco Bezzecchi may stay at VR46 rather tha🔴n join Pramac.

Marquez has even been linked to Gresini, quite unexpectedly🐻 and sensational✃ly. He would partner his brother Alex there.

Can Ducati be tempted to ask Marquez?