Marc Marquez clarifies his KTM compliments - or is something else going on?
Ahead of the Austrian MotoGP this weekend - the home race for KTM and Red Bull, who separately sponsor both KTM and Marquez - the rider made high-profile comments about the team he is linked to joining.
Marquez was on a TV show alongside Pit Beirer, the KTM motorsport director, in a scene which has only stoked rumours that they are set to join forces.
Marquez was asked in Austria why he publicly claimed that KTM would become the No1 manufacturer, and he answered: “All manufacturers have the same ambition, to be the best.
“It looks like, in these past years, the European manufacturers were faster with their steps in development.
“Why? I am not the engineer. I am not inside the factory to understand why.
“But it’s true that KTM is in an aggressive mode to take engineers, to find the best for their project. They have a European style - if the left side is the best, they go to the left, if the right side is the best, they go to the right. This is a competition.
“I had good words to KTM. Not because I was pretending, but because when a rider is doing a good job, you say. When a manufacturer is doing a good job, you must say.
“The evolution of KTM last year was good. In the past Ducati’s evolution was good, and also Aprilia’s. We need to focus in our box to understand what they did better, to copy or even to improve.”
KTM’s Beirer said on the same TV show: "Unfortunately, I'm afraid that Marc will not be in our line-up next year because he has a contract.
“We discussed it and he gave us a clear answer and that's it.”
But even the Repsol Honda rider’s explanation of his comments will hardly calm the situation.
Marquez is contracted to Honda on the biggest-money deal in the sport until the end of next year and, like Beirer says, he has already committed to staying put for the duration of his deal.
That could mean one more year on an uncompetitive bike, although Marquez will spend the rest of 2023 ignoring results to develop his ‘24 machine.
In 2025, it’s fairly clear that KTM would be interested in recruiting Marquez when he becomes a free agent.
The Austrian manufacturers have been trying, and so far failing, to acquire an existing satellite team to increase their four bikes on the 2024 grid, as part of an aggressive drive to chase down Ducati.
By 2025, when several of the current satellite teams could renegotiate terms with factories, KTM could be in a place to offer Marquez a seat.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
