Marquez chose to quit Repsol Honda and 🥂join Gresini Ducati in 2024 but, before firming up his decision, he sought out Pedrosa for advice.

Marquez first shared his si🐷de of the story to DAZN: “Who did I call? [Shall] I say it? I called Dani Pedrosa.

“On the Sunday 𒁃of the Japan MotoGP. I was in my room after 𝔉the race.

“‘Dani, can I call you?’ And I called him.

“W🉐hat I asked him, and all that, he can tell you, if he wants!

“But I called him. Because he ඣwas at Honda for a long time and he also had an unconventional career.

“What did he say to me? He can tell you, if he wants! I wonder 🌃if he would be annoyed, because…

“I called him for advice rider-to-rider.

🅷“It wasn’t ‘should I or shouldn’t I?’ Because he’s a rider,🌼 he works for KTM.

“But rider to r🍸ider, I’ve always had a very good relationship with Dani.

“And he helped me.”

Pedrosa has now added further detail, saying🉐: “First of all, I was surprised.

“I was just watching the race and, a few hours later, I♐ got hisꦓ call.

“I c✃an’t tel🅘l you the details of what the conversation was about.

“But, obviously, I can say t🐲hat when I hung up the phone, I wasn’t sure what his pick would be!

“He j🙈ust wanteꦗd to have this exchange of rider experience.

“Obviously, in my situation now with KTM, I c🍌annot advise him to do anything.

“But we exchanged some information. 

“Maybe, just because I was a long ti🥃me with Honda.

“He wanted to have a different point of view.

“The situation was hard to choose, because he was in a contract. He had to split the contract. Tha♐t’s always a difficult thing to do.

“I have no doubt about his talent,💙 no doubt about his ability to go fast💖.

🐭“We’ve seen him go fast in 125cc, in Moto2, in MotoGP. I see no reason why he shouldn’t adapt to the Ducati.”

Pedrosa, the most successful-ever MotoGꦗP rider to never win a championship, spent six 🦂years as Marquez’s teammate at Repsol Honda.

N𒈔ow a KTM test rider, he has thrilled fans and impressed fellow riders with wildcard outingꦗs this season.

Although weജ don’t know if Pedrosa told Marquez to leave Honda or not, the enduring closeness between them remai♌ns fascinating.

Not least because, after 2024, Marquez will become a free agent and KTM have🔯 a longstanding interest in him.

And if Marquez needs any informa🔯tion about the development of their bike…