Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Marquez admits it “was not easy” to leave Gresini for KTM, but he assured Nadia Padovani in November 2025 they would not be left in the lurch if a factory offer came.
The 30-year-old has revealed that he first spoke with Gresini team owner Padovani about his desire to earn a factory ride for the 2027 season soon after he secured the runner-up spot in the 2025 standings. Marquez feels he realised all that he can at Gresini with his silver medal.
Initially, Marquez wanted to join his brother Marc at Ducati in 2027, but the Bologna Bullets have overlooked Alex in favour of signing Pedro Acosta to replace Francesco Bagnaia. And in a sliding doors moment, KTM have signed Marquez to replace Acosta from the start of 2027.
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Alex Marquez ‘promised’ Gresini in November 2025 they would know if he received a factory MotoGP offer
KTM have confirmed that Marquez will join them in 2027 alongside current VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio, with the Austrian outfit also moving on from Brad Binder at the end of this term. Marquez signed a multi-year KTM contract to bring an end to his four years at Gresini.
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Cervera native Marquez claims he will leave Gresini with their blessing, as Padovani told him that it was time to move on after he finished second to Marc in the 2025 standings. Alex also decided after the 2025 season that it was time to leave Gresini, but he promised Padovani at the time that they would not be left in the lurch if a works offer for the 2027 season arrived.
Marquez told AS: “Yes [I am proud], but, first of all, it was not an easy decision because of where I came from. But it’s true that back in November, talking with Nadia, I made her a promise. I told her, ‘If any team, any factory, comes along, you’ll be the first to know. I don’t want to be left behind’.
“As the negotiations progressed, I would call Nadia and Michele [Bertelle] and keep them informed of everything. They supported my decision. They told me it was what I deserved, what I had fought for these past years, and that after such a good year as 2025, I had to leave. That gave me a lot of peace of mind.
“And then there was how KTM approached me, the decision they made for me, how I felt valued from the beginning, right? And then, well, I also know people within the company who helped me make the decision and made me even more convinced.”
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The 2025 season was a breakout campaign for Alex Marquez, having never finished higher in the standings than P8 before emerging as an outside title contender using a Ducati GP24 in 2025. With a year-old bike, Marquez also took the first MotoGP Grand Prix wins of his career.
Getting a factory-spec GP26 in 2026 has not yielded as much success for Marquez, with one win to his name from the first 10 rounds. Marquez missed three Grands Prix due to injury in Italy, Hungary and Czechia after fracturing his C7 vertebra during the Catalan GP this May.
Being a full works rider in 2027 was a crucial aspect of Marquez’s plans, however, as he sees it being vital for the imminent regulation changes. MotoGP will swap from 1,000cc to 850cc bikes, ban all ride height and holeshot devices, and also switch from Michelin to Pirelli tyres.
Marquez added: “After last year, for me it was like closing a chapter. How much more can I do here? It was about seeking new challenges, something different.
“But above all, with the new regulations, being a factory rider and being in a factory team is crucial so that all the parts arrive super-fast. You’re super connected with the factory, and you can work there from the very first bike we’ll start with in the first race.
“By the third race, the bike might be completely different. Why? Because two frames or two swingarms have been changed, or something else has had to be done.
“That’s why it’s important to be a factory rider and be in a factory team. That’s what I wanted with this decision. That was my goal, and I’m 30 years old, so it was the right decision to make at the ideal time.”
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