Marc Marquez offers three-word response when asked if he left Honda MotoGP team too late

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Marc Marquez will ride for the factory Ducati squad in 2025, the second season in the post-Honda chapter of his career. He shocked the world of MotoGP when he split with the Japanese manufacturer.

Marquez and Honda announced in the autumn of 2023 that their collaboration would come to an end. It had been 10 years since he made his MotoGP debut in their colours.

In that time, the Spaniard won six world championships, including four in a row between 2016 and 2019. Only Giacomo Agostini (eight) and Valentino Rossi (seven) have taken more titles in the premier class.

Marquez signed a new four-year deal with Honda ahead of the 2020 season, but broke his arm at the opening round in Jerez. That ruled him out for the remainder of the year, and he wouldn’t take a full part in 2021, 2022 or 2023 either due to a series of operations and further injuries.

While he managed to win three races in 2021 (Germany, the Americas and Emilia Romagna), his ultimate goal was to compete for the title again. And he lost faith in Honda’s ability to deliver a contending bike.

Perhaps the final straw was the 2023 visit to the Sachsenring, where he crashed five times in the lead-up to the race. He subsequently signed a contract to race for Gresini, his path to a Ducati seat.

Marc Marquez insists he doesn’t regret timing of Honda MotoGP exit

During an interview with MotoGP’s official website, Marquez was asked whether he’d stayed at Honda too long. Between 2020 and 2023, his teammates scored just three podiums combined, a clear sign of the team’s decline.

Fabio Quartararo may have won the title for Yamaha in 2021, but Ducati kick-started a run of four straight constructors’ titles that year. It seems to be the era of the European teams, with their Japanese competitors struggling.

At 31, Marquez still has plenty of time to complete his comeback with a championship. He’s poised to battle teammate Francesco Bagnania for the 2025 crown.

And he rejects the notion that he wasted some of his prime years with an ailing Honda squad. Asked if he regretted not leaving earlier, he simply replied: “Ha, no, no.”

What Luigi Dall’Igna saw before handing Marc Marquez factory Ducati deal

Honda’s woes last season certainly justified Marquez’s bombshell decision. They finished bottom of the standings, and Johann Zarco says his 2025 bike might be even worse.

And at the same time, they’re watching their former rider return to an elite level. Luigi Dall’Igna was amazed by Marquez’s data on the Gresini bike, which may be why he edged out Jorge Martin in the battle to partner Bagnaia.

But he still has some weak areas to address during pre-season testing. Marquez is struggling on fresh tyres, which could hold him back in qualifying over the course of 2025.