Neil Morrison | October 12, 2023
It’s finally official. HRC and Marc Marquez have confirmed they will terminate their working relationship at the end of 2023, bringing to an end a decorated 11-year partnership.
Even if his four-year contract with Honda doesn’t expire until the end of 2024, Marquez’s future has been the subject of great speculation since the end of last year, when he made it clear to senior Honda management that he was far from impressed by their efforts to improve the woefully uncompetitive RC213V.
The Spaniard is widely expected to be confirmed at Gresini Ducati for next year, where he will ride a year-old Desmosedici GP23 alongside brother Alex.
There have been numerous flashpoints through 2023, from a shocking preseason test at Sepang, where the factory hadn’t brought anything significant for its lead rider to test, to the downright disastrous German GP, where he gave his bike the middle finger and crashed five times, failing to make the race through injury.
Marquez was widely believed to be seeking alternatives for 2024 during this year’s summer break, including exploring the possibility of riding a KTM. It was around then it also became clear that riding a Ducati in Gresini colors was also a possibility he was considering.
For its part, Honda has long acknowledged that its star rider may not be riding in its colors next year. After another horrendous weekend at Assen, Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto Puig said, “Every person is free to do what he wants in life, and Honda is not a company that wants to have people that is not happy being in Honda. Honda respects Marc a lot. I want to think yes (he will stay), but I don’t have a magic ball.”
Honda since reacted to another disastrous season, in which Marquez, its lead rider, sits 15th in the World Championship, 255 points back of current leader Francesco Bagnaia. It has decided to shake up its MotoGP project, even axing Director Shinichi Kokubu, a mainstay in the factory since 1986. And at September’s San Marino GP there were hints the #93 was considering staying. But another poor post-race test, where he insisted HRC’s ’24 prototype bike was worse than his current machine, appeared to be the final straw.
The writing was on the wall during the Japanese GP. Asked if he could be convinced by senior Honda management to stay, he said, “Maybe my mind is already made up.” He then called Sunday’s third place “a romantic podium,” leading Bagnaia – sat to his right in the post-race press conference – to quip, “Bye, bye, Honda.”
While Marquez’s fortunes have been in a tailspin from the moment he fractured his upper right arm at Jerez in July, 2020, his record at Repsol Honda before then was the stuff of legend: six premier class titles, 59 wins, 101 podiums and 64 pole positions. Together, he and Honda won the elusive Triple Crown – the Rider’s, Constructor’s and Team’s Championships – five times, while he cemented his status as an all-time great of the sport.
An official statement from Honda read, “Both parties will continue to give their full support for the remaining rounds of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship season. HRC wish Marc Marquez the best in his future endeavors.”
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In a press release dated October 11, Team Gresini stated the following:
The Gresini Family is pleased to announce the arrival of Marc Marquez for the 2024 season. The Spanish rider, a multi-time World Champion, recently announced his separation with Honda and starting from next season, he will be the new standard bearer of Team Gresini MotoGP alongside his brother Alex.
This is a dream pair the one made by the Marquez brothers, with Marc that will get back into play with a satellite team that has already shown it belongs with the best since the squad’s return to the status of independent team in the premier class.
Marc Marquez: “I’m excited with this new challenge. It wasn’t an easy decision because it’s a big change in every way. But sometimes in life it’s important to get out of the comfort zone and put yourself through the paces in order to keep growing. Bike-chance wise, I know I will have to adapt my riding style to a few things, and it won’t be easy. But I’m also sure that the whole Team Gresini will help me a lot. I can’t wait to get to know the team and start working with them. I’d like to thank Nadia, Carlo and Michele for the trust and respect they showed me.
Nadia Padovani Gresini: “This is a historical moment for the Gresini Family. The fact that Marc Marquez chose to race with us in the upcoming season is absolutely fantastic and I’m extremely happy to be able to make it official. In less than a season we got really close to his brother, and we’ll welcome Marc the same way, as we’re sure he has all the potential to be competitive on the GP23 from the get-go. Last but not least, I would like to thank Fabio Di Giannantonio for his professionalism, and we wish him all the best for the continuation of his career.”
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