Marc Marquez has the entire world neatly in the palm of his hands, hanging off his every word as the saga around his future plans for 2024 seemingly nears its conclusion.
The eight-time world champion has a contract with Honda in MotoGP for next season, a fact he has repeatedly stated as uncertainty over his future continues. That hasn’t stopped shock links to Gresini Ducati emerging and persisting. They persist, however, because Marquez wants them to.
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By now, his struggles on the RC213V this season are well documented. His rather glum first impressions of Honda’s 2024 prototype he tried at the Misano test last week did nothing to dispel thoughts among many that he will, in fact, break contract with Honda. Then he tells Spanish media the day after that “the commitment is this: to try to succeed with Honda, whether in one year, two or three”.
At the Misano test he outlined his deadline for his decision for the next week or so, during either the Indian Grand Prix or the following round in Japan. The answer, then, is close. And at this stage, nobody is really sure what it will be.
Both options are a step into the unknown. Honda’s Misano test hasn’t exactly hinted of better days ahead. But this is the factory with whom he has won all of his MotoGP titles. It would be folly, even in the new world order of European marques and mentality, to write off HRC entirely.
But the Ducati is clearly the best bike on the grid right now, and even a year-old machine is capable of fighting for the title. And at least with the latter option, he has some insight.
Source: Autosport