Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez is cruising to the 2025 MotoGP world championship. Heading into this weekend’s German Grand Prix, he’s 68 points clear of injury-doubt Alex Marquez at the top of the standings.
Marquez’s record at the Sachsenring – he has won 11 times at the circuit in Grand Prix racing – suggests he will extend that lead regardless of Alex’s availability.
But one could argue that he hasn’t yet proven his full worth to Ducati. The Borgo Panigale outfit remain utterly dominant, having picked up 25 out of a possible 30 podiums this season.
Even if Ducati hadn’t signed Marquez, they would have been champions this year. Granted, it may have been a satellite rider in Alex for the second year in a row.
But whether it’s in 2026 or, more likely, 2027, rivals are bound to close in. And when the time comes that they’re level, or ahead, Ducati may discover the true value of an ‘alien’ rider.
Marc Marquez told Ducati they could determine his salary after Honda move
As was extensively documented, Ducati chose to promote Marquez to their factory team over eventual world champion Jorge Martin last year. He entered contract negotiations with Luigi Dall’Igna and Claudio Domenicali while he was racing for Gresini.
There were a few ‘thorny’ issues that came up – Marquez had to drop Red Bull and Samsung as personal sponsors because they clashed with Ducati’s existing agreements.
According to MOW, Dall’Igna was anxious about the Spaniard’s salary demands. He was aware that he’d earned ‘mountains of money’ at Honda, figures Ducati couldn’t necessarily match.
But when asked about his expectations, he reportedly replied: “You put the figure.”
Marquez didn’t ‘care’ about how much he earned, because he and his family were already set for generations. His main priority was winning again, and he knew Ducati offered him a route back to title contention.
Dall’Igna and Domenicali were surprised by his stance. They didn’t think he’d go to these lengths, but any obstacles to the deal were removed.
Marc Marquez proves Pedro Acosta was wrong about his MotoGP paypacket
Honda offered Marquez a giant £84m contract extension as they tried to keep him at the team. But he’d irretrievably lost faith in the Japanese manufacturer, leading to an early separation at the end of 2023.
Dall’Igna said in March that ‘money shouldn’t be an issue’ for a rider who wants to win. Those comments have now taken on a new meaning in light of MOW’s revelations.
Pedro Acosta claims he’s the only rider who doesn’t prioritise wages, but Marquez may disagree. His stance has softened since his Honda days.
It’s believed that Marquez earns £10m per year at Ducati, which is comparable to teammate Francesco Bagnaia (£8.5m with bonuses).
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