Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez still won’t earn as much as Fabio Quartararo when he signs a new contract at Ducati, according to a report. The world champion is expected to pen an extension imminently.
Many believe Marquez is signing a one-plus-one deal rather than a straight two-year extension. But Ducati are still planning to reward him for his dominant 2025 championship win.
Marquez was known to have accepted reduced terms at Borgo Panigale, prioritising a winning bike over a lucrative contract after Honda’s decline.
Should Marc Marquez sign for two years or a 1+1 year contract for 2027?
On the other side of the garage, Ducati are shedding Francesco Bagnaia’s salary, though it’s unclear how the incoming Pedro Acosta’s demands compare.
Fabio Quartararo continues to out-earn Marc Marquez
According to Motosprint, Quartararo will ‘retain his status’ as MotoGP’s highest-paid rider when he leaves Yamaha and joins Honda in 2027. This was apparently a significant factor in his decision.
Quartararo was linked with Ducati himself but he has taken a gamble on Yamaha’s Japanese rivals instead. Honda are fourth in the pecking order at the moment but are unmatched on the grid in terms of resources, which could serve them well ahead of the rule changes.
- READ MORE: Fabio Quartararo was once given 10 races to score points before his MotoGP contract was ‘void’
Reports have suggested Quartararo is earning £10m per year at Yamaha. He turned down a more competitive Ducati satellite ride to re-sign with the factory in 2024, even in the midst of a victory drought.
It’s rumoured that Moto2 star David Alonso will partner Quartararo next year. Alonso has demanded a significant salary despite his inexperience, so it will be an expensive contract cycle for Honda, particularly if they add two further bikes to their roster at Tech3.
Marc Marquez’s Ducati wages from 2027
Marquez’s ‘fixed’ salary could rise to £13m per year under his new deal, a fivefold increase from the £2.6m he earned in 2025 before bonuses.
If this figure is correct, then it seems Quartararo has been offered a significant pay rise by Honda. MotoGP’s most successful team were clearly desperate to sign a superstar rider to accelerate their post-Marquez rebuild.
Quartararo won the world championship in 2021 and when Jorge Lorenzo ranked the most talented riders on the current grid, the Frenchman was third.
While it’s a surprise to see him on a bigger contract than a seven-time MotoGP champion, it’s worth remembering that Honda reportedly offered Marquez €100m over four years, the equivalent over £20m per season, before he left in 2023.
Ducati simply can’t pay as much as Honda, so it’s not a reflection of Marquez’s stock.
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