Marc Marquez as KTM and Ducati rumours swirl: “There are calls, I won’t say who”

KTM have a longstanding interest in Marquez, while Ducati have always denied that they want him.

Marquez is contracted to Honda for next year but rumours continue that he could engineer an early exit.

"Of course, there have been calls,” Marquez told DAZN. 

“When you notice that someone is in a difficult moment and you bet on them, there are calls, of course. 

“Whether they were from one or the other, whether one rejected or not, out of respect for all the brands, I won't say who, how, or how it happened. 

“But there have been contacts, obviously," 

The eight-time world champion has been reduced to spending the latter part of this year testing his Honda to benefit 2024’s version, rather than seeking results.

He worryingly said about his crash-filled 2023 so far: "You slow down the beast I have inside with a series of blows."

For now, his commitment remains to his current employers.

"Yes, I know where I will be racing in 2024,” he said. 

“As of today, I have a contract with Honda, but they have put my name on all the bikes. Someone will get it right, won't they?”

Next week’s Misano test will be the first time Marquez can evaluate Honda’s plans for next season so is earmarked as a crunch day for his decision-making.

"I have never said that my future depends on the Misano Test from my own mouth,” he insisted.

“We have to look for the best solution for the project. And this is based in Austria; we're testing new aerodynamics. It's different, okay, but we are trying something different.

"In Misano, you already start to see a little bit of the 2024 project, and how it will go. Whether it will go better or worse. You begin to sense how 2024 will go. 

“We have to keep working on the project to find the best solution in every sense.

“When you're in a situation like this, you have to work together. Otherwise, it's impossible to get out."

Marquez heads to the San Marino MotoGP this weekend hoping to avoid a repeat of last weekend in Barcelona, where on Friday the four Hondas were the four slowest bikes in practice.