Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez can reflect on the 2025 MotoGP season, safe in the knowledge that his move from Honda to Ducati was almost perfectly timed.
He may not have got the chance to end the campaign as he would have hoped, but he had already written his name into the MotoGP history books.
The Spaniard’s two-year factory Ducati deal is set to expire soon, and given the success he generated for them, they’ll want to keep hold of him.
Marquez does need fair pay for what he contributes to the Italian outfit, and that could end up being a factor in their next negotiations. They don’t want to allow him to explore the MotoGP rider market.
What should Ducati do to ensure that Marc Marquez signs a new contract?
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Marquez is ‘attracted’ to Honda for 2027, and a reunion with his old team would be quite the ending for his career, but it has only been two years since he left them.
Marquez has made a ‘challenging’ realisation in recent weeks, as he recovers from a brutal shoulder injury. It’s not an easy recovery process.
READ MORE: Ducati CEO admits they are facing ‘an issue’ with Marc Marquez’s MotoGP contract renewal
Santi Hernandez insists that Marc Marquez’s ‘most important’ trait is his intelligence
With Honda and Ducati in a ‘duel’ to sign Marquez, 2026 could end up being an important year in the context of his future. Both will be eager to prove that they can give him a great bike for the new regulations in 2027.
And while it’s a bit of a blind decision for all riders, guessing where to go feels like a bit of a lottery for everyone except Marquez, who is great at making key decisions.
It’s that intelligence that his ex-Honda crew chief, Santi Hernandez, has praised in Mat Oxley’s new book – Marc The Magnificent.
“Marc has talent, of course, but most important is that he’s very intelligent,” he said. “One of the things where he makes the difference – even when he’s winning – is his motivation to learn and to improve.
“The first day I worked with him in Moto2 I was surprised how a kid could give such clear and direct comments. I’ve worked with many riders with a lot of experience,but the very first day we could see this guy is very clever and he’s always open to learning.
“Even now, when he’s won many races and championships, he still wants to learn. Many riders think they know everything when they win. Even now, he’s learning all the time and if he makes a mistake he’s the first to say so.”
READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia ‘underestimated’ Marc Marquez after listening to Valentino Rossi’s circle
Why a Honda reunion could be on the cards for Marc Marquez
Marquez started working with Hernandez back in 2011, and continued to do so right through the end of his days with Honda in 2023.
Hernandez would ‘welcome’ him back to Honda if a deal could be reached for 2027, but it still feels unlikely that he would take such a risk to leave behind one of the best bikes to go home.
Marquez proved he was right to move to Ducati by winning the title this year, and no longer has anything to prove to anyone (he didn’t really before).
But now he has won with two separate manufacturers and is tied with Valentino Rossi on championships, it’s hard to see what else he has to achieve. Maybe he would go back to Honda?
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