Marc Marquez left Honda by a quote it was not “a bye bye”, it was a “see you later”.
The combination of these statements, along with Honda’s internal restructuring to regain MotoGP prominence, has led to suggestions that they will attempt to extend Marquez’s contract.
Having signed a one-year deal with Gresini Ducati, the eight-time world champion aims to determine his long-term plans by the summer, coinciding with Honda’s aspirations for an improved position.
When asked about Honda’s intention to bring back Marquez for 2025, team manager Alberto Puig responded to Marca: “Honda’s current focus is on enhancing the motorcycle.”
“We have to have a competitive motorcycle again, how we had years ago.
“That is point number one, the most important thing.
“Then, logically, develop the bike during the winter and race in 2024 and see what bike we have and what our riders can do with that bike.
“And, from midseason onwards, really see where we are.
“That’s the only thing I can say now.
“To think beyond that would be crazy.
“Priority number one: develop and improve the bike.”
Puig addressed Marquez’s concern regarding the new concessions system, indicating that Honda and Yamaha are poised to benefit this year.
However, Marquez has expressed apprehension that it might still take two years for his former team to catch up to Ducati. Puig responded to this suggestion –
“The level is very high.
“Obviously, the concessions thing is going to be a great help.
“I don’t know, if the recovery time was, I don’t know, let’s say a year, with the concessions you can do it in half, in six months.
“You need a whole year, at least, to bring a motorcycle to a level, let’s say, close.
“This is going well for you. It is true that when you lose the thread a little on a technical level, recovering is difficult.
“That’s why we think that these concessions are going to be good for us and that they are going to give us the possibility of shortening the times for this.
“Whether it will be two years, one and a half, one, I don’t know. But it’s not two months, of course.”
Marquez impressed during the post-season Valencia test on his debut with Ducati, creating anticipation that he could contend for the MotoGP title in 2024 right from the start.
Puig said whether Marc Marquez can win a ninth championship: “If we limit ourselves to analysing the current reality, the data, and make a comparison of the riders in Ducati and those who have left other brands for Ducati, and we put his potential as a rider on the other hand, which we know, obviously… he can win.”
The head of the Honda team discussed the emotionally charged separation between Marquez and the manufacturer.
“It was, honestly, sad, I’m not going to lie to you,” he said.
“There have been many years, and a lot of success and also many years of a lot of tension and a lot of pain due to the situation, due to the accident.
“In the end, when you put all that together it is a box full of pressure and super good and bad emotions.
“Whether you want it or not, it is hard and it is sad.
“On the other hand, I also believe that in life we have to keep everything that has been achieved, everything that he has contributed to Honda, what we have learned from him, the human relationships that we have achieved with him. It’s been wonderful.”
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