Marco Bezzecchi
It has been claimed that Alex Marquez has ‘doubled’ his MotoGP salary after choosing to join KTM.
Marquez, 30, has been with Gresini since joining the team from LCR Honda back in 2023.
So far in 2026, the Spaniard has scored 67 points from five races and currently trails Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez by one point in the MotoGP standings.
Looking ahead, it is expected that Marquez will leave Gresini for KTM ahead of the 2027 campaign.
What else needs to happen before MotoGP riders form a union?
Alex Marquez has ‘doubled’ his MotoGP salary by joining KTM
Speaking recently to MOW Mag, Carlo Pernat claimed that Marquez will earn ‘double’ his Gresini salary at KTM.
Pernat also suggested that Marquez chose the ‘financial choice’ over a ‘winning technical project’.
Pernat said: “Today, contracts are made too quickly: after just two races, the top five riders are already assigned, something unprecedented in the history of MotoGP. This rush risks influencing and agitating the riders, as we’re seeing with a very nervous Martín.
“Decisions are now divided into two very distinct categories: those who make a purely economic choice and those who pursue a winning technical project. Quartararo and Alex Márquez, for example, have made financial choices; Alex will earn double what he earns at Gresini at KTM.”
Previously, Pernat accused Ai Ogura of choosing money over motorcycles, after the Japanese rider decided to leave Trackhouse for Yamaha.
Do you think MotoGP officials have the riders’ best interests in mind?
Carmelo Ezpeleta has defended the decision to restart the Catalan GP twice!
READ MORE: Carlo Pernat has heard Marc Marquez asked Ducati for a retirement clause in his 2027 contract
Pernat then praised the decisions made by Francesco Bagnaia and Pedro Acosta, claiming the former rejected ‘crazy sums’ from Yamaha to sign for Aprilia.
The 77-year-old then questioned whether Toprak Razgatlioglu regrets signing for Yamaha.
Pernat continued: “Bagnaia and Acosta are making moves solely to compete for the win: Pecco turned down crazy sums from Yamaha to join Aprilia, accepting half the salary, and that’s a smart decision.
“Those who choose money risk paying the price on the track, especially if they embrace technical projects that are still untested. This is the case with Yamaha, which has a complex V4 project that will take a long time to finalise.
“I think Razgatlioglu is also regretting it; he would have made history if he’d known Quartararo wanted to leave because he no longer believed in the project, there’s no way he would have signed for MotoGP with Yamaha.
“Maybe he would have been better off waiting a year. On this point too, I tell the riders to wake up, form an association to protect themselves, and use common sense, because moving so blindly and so quickly only risks creating a huge mess.”
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
