Ducati Open to Welcoming Marc Marquez

Jakarta – Ducati’s Sports Director Paolo Ciabatti has expressed his willingness to welcome Spanish rider and eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez to his team for the upcoming season.

Marquez, after an 11-year stint, will officially not race for Repsol Honda next season. Both parties agreed to terminate the contract a year ago.

Rumors have it that the 30-year-old will join the Gresini Racing team alongside his brother Alex Marquez for Ducati in the following season.

“He is a great rider, of course, a great champion,” Ciabatti said at the Shell Advance and Ducati Corse press conference held in Jakarta’s Senayan City Forest on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023.

This season’s MotoGP title is almost certainly headed Ducati’s way. This is because their three riders currently hold the top three positions in the standings.

The top spot is held by Francesco Bagnaia with the Ducati Lenovo Team, accumulating 319 points. Jorge Martin, also with Prima Pramac Racing, trails by just three points, securing second place.

Marco Bezzecchi, partnering with Mooney VR46 Racing Team, occupies third place with 265 points so far, thanks to seven podium finishes and three victories.

According to Ciabatti, with such a strong position, Ducati doesn’t necessarily need more riders as it is already highly competitive. However, if Marquez were to join, it would be interesting to see what he could achieve with Gresini.

“Ducati has made different choices for its factory riders. So, we have younger riders. But, for sure, the championship would be intriguing to watch if he goes to Gresini and sees what he can do,” he commented.

There are still two open seats on the MotoGP grid for the upcoming season. However, no official announcements have been made yet regarding which riders will fill those spots.

One of the vacancies is at the Gresini Racing team, where Marquez is rumored to land, while the other remains at Repsol Honda, with the departing rider yet to be replaced.