Marc Marquez was the centre of consideration final weekend at Misano, the place he performed a sport of misdirection about his quick future in MotoGP.
His perspective seeks to delay a cleaning soap opera that leaves one factor crystal clear: each the paddock and the followers are extra involved concerning the path the Spanish rider follows than about what occurs on monitor.
MORE: The grim future facing MotoGP’s struggling champions after vital test
The rider himself acknowledged as a lot on Monday when he spoke to the journalists who stayed on the Misano circuit to cowl the collective check that happened there after the grand prix. “I will drag it out so long as I can,” he stated, referring to the date on which he’ll announce which workforce he’ll journey for subsequent season.
Though the Spaniard even named as much as three potentialities, logic means that there are two options he’s actually contemplating: both to stay tied to Honda, at the very least till 2024 when his contract expires, or to signal for Gresini and compete, alongside his brother Alex, on a Ducati.
No media outlet that follows the world championship on-site needs to be embarrassed. That’s the reason it’s shocking that, over the previous couple of days, there had been headlines that took Marquez’s departure to Gresini as a right, and others that assured he would keep at Honda.
Autosport understands that the Catalan has been considering each situations always, with the only intention of getting again to being aggressive and driving on the entrance, and doing in order quickly as potential. At 30 years of age, that ought to rule out the speculation from those that have recommended the potential of him taking a sabbatical.
In that sense, the temptation to hitch the Faenza workforce, which in 2024 can have two Ducati Desmosedici GP23 – with which Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin have gathered seven wins out of a potential 12 – is completely comprehensible. That route would enable him to keep away from the function of semi-tester that he has been enjoying in recent times at Honda, and from which he’s already fairly exhausted.
Marquez has been linked to a shock Gresini Ducati change for 2024
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Gresini is staying quiet as a result of this ready interval additionally will increase its display share and media consideration. For the Italian outfit, the mere chance of a rider of Marquez’s calibre having the ability to put on their colors is value denying Jake Dixon and Toni Arbolino the bike, and preserving Fabio Di Giannantonio within the ready room. Within the occasion that Marquez opts to stay at Honda, it could be sufficient to verify ‘Digia’ or to pay the termination clauses of both Arbolino or Dixon, if they’ve them.
Ducati insists it’s not all in favour of recruiting Marquez. Nonetheless, if we analyse the idiosyncrasies of the model, that is solely partially true. Whereas it’s true that the arrival of the eight-time world champion would flip the established order that the Borgo Panigale producer manages so effectively the wrong way up, Gigi Dall’Igna, the overall supervisor of the Bolognese producer could be delighted to see what the Lleida-born rider would be capable to do with certainly one of his Desmosedicis.
The truth is, the combat between Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini for the title in 2022 made it fairly clear that the engineer would not care who wins or with which prototype, so long as it is certainly one of his personal.
“I will drag it out so long as I can” Marc Marquez on his future
Having stated all that, Gresini just isn’t the one workforce that may carry collectively the 2 most influential individuals within the championship right now, one as an engineer and the opposite as a rider. Ever since HRC workforce supervisor Alberto Puig acquired approval in Austria from Hikaru Tsukamoto, head of Honda Motor’s two-wheeled division, to go and signal engineers from rival groups, his first goal has all the time been Dall’Igna. Whether or not he succeeds or not is one other matter.
The dimensions of the Japanese firm’s monetary muscle is undoubted, however, contemplating that Ducati sees him because the cornerstone of its mission, his present circumstances is not going to be unhealthy both. With that in thoughts, the best bait to get Dall’Igna’s consideration might be to current him with the most important problem of his life. That is none apart from to entrust him with Honda’s rescue, a problem that, if profitable, would make him the equal of Adrian Newey in System 1.
Puig has been tasked with assembly Marquez’s engineering calls for to remain at Honda
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Staying at Ducati would absolutely carry him titles; resurrecting HRC would make him much more transcendent than he has already been. Though, clearly, that course of wouldn’t be quick, nor was Ducati’s since his arrival in 2014. Regardless of preventing for the title with Andrea Dovizioso, and exactly towards Marquez in 2017 and 2018, glory didn’t return to Bologna till 2022. Nonetheless, Honda’s energy and Marquez’s expertise would almost certainly shorten that timeframe.
Both manner, and no matter whether or not Puig finds a method to persuade him to maneuver on, what appears indeniable is that Honda is heading in a special course than it has been. In latest races, the presence of Tetsuhiro Kuwata – nonetheless HRC’s director – and Shinichi Kokubu – the chief technical officer – has turn out to be much less and fewer necessary inside the construction. The truth is, HRC president Koji Watanabe has almost certainly already determined to do with out them, although the dynamics of the Japanese administrative calendars are out of sync with these within the West. In Jap corporations, employees turnover often happens in early April.
It’s clear that the favorite possibility for each Marquez and Puig to attempt to return to the highest is Dall’Igna, and that the most effective ally to seduce him is tempting his ego. And what do they consider that chance at Ducati? “Gigi additionally likes to win and now he’s doing that,” an authoritative voice within the Italian workforce advised Autosport.
Dall’Igna introduced Ducati its first world championship in 15 years in 2022. May Honda snare him to revive its personal fortunes?
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images