Next year will see Marc Marquez start (over) from scratch in MotoGP. For the first time in eleven years, he’ll no longer be in Honda colours and will embark on a new chapter in his career, with a private team. In 2024 he will join brother Alex and climb aboard the Ducati as a team Gresini rider.

The decision to cut the umbilical cord with the Japanese manufacturer was not an easy one, but a necessary one, and more so for Marc the man than for Marc the rider. In an interview with Crash.net he stated: “It was an important decision, particularly the decision to leave my team. The team of my career in MotoGP. The team of my life, or rather the Repsol Honda team, with all its Japanese and Spanish staff. It was difficult, but we’ll see whether it turns out to be the right decision”. He won six top class titles with them in just seven years, prior to his injury and the onset of technical difficulties.

Marc Marquez’s priority in 2024

And so began the negotiations with the Italian team, which already fields brother Alex, with Marc ultimately deciding to rescind his contract with Honda to join the Gresini camp in 2024: “Sometimes in life, but always in my career, the main priority is riding performance. Not money. Money is always important, and if someone says it isn’t, they’re lying. But sometimes you have to believe in yourself and go with your feelings”.  The decision also has its financial implications of course, but Marc is well aware of that: “It’s true I have the highest salary in MotoGP but I’m happy with what I’ll get next year.”

Marquez explains the reasoning behind a one-year contract

The Gresini team comes closest to meeting his current requirements: “What I need right now is to have a family team where I can try to have fun again on track. And try to be calm, riding and forgetting about everything else.” And the results speak volumes about the quality of the team: “It’s true that it’s a satellite team, but it’s also true that many riders have achieved good results with this team. Bastianini, for example, my brother, Di Giannantonio… but before thinking about the results, I need to have fun – that’s what I’m looking for.”

This philosophy also relates to his decision to sign a one-year contract: “This is why I have a one-year contract. Because I need that year to clarify many things for myself. If I am able to enjoy myself again, then that will be the best news of all”.