Marc Marquez: “Next year we have to fight for the title”

Having secured the “best bike” in MotoGP, Marc Marquez says he will settle for nothing less than fighting for the title in 2025.

After leaving Repsol Honda and dropping to satellite status with Gresini Ducati this season, the eight-time world champion will be propelled back into the factory spotlight as Francesco Bagnaia’s team-mate.

“Right now there is no faster motorcycle. In the last race, the first four were Ducati,” Marquez said in an interview with AS.

“Next year we have to fight for the title,” he added. “I made a very important decision, which was to leave Repsol Honda, the team of my entire life, with an emotional burden that was hard, but I did it by prioritising my career and seeking results.”

Ducati picked Marquez over Pramac’s world championship leader Jorge Martin, sending the younger Spaniard into the arms of Aprilia.

The possibility of keeping both, by placing Martin alongside Bagnaia and moving Marquez to the factory bike at Pramac, was sunk by the #93 on the eve of the Mugello weekend.

“In the first conversations with Ducati, I already expressed it this way. I didn't want to change from one satellite team [Gresini] to another satellite [Pramac]," Marquez said.

But Marquez was prepared to consider staying at Gresini, where he currently rides a year-old GP23, presumably if upgraded to a factory-spec bike.

“To be on a satellite team [again], I stay at Gresini,” he said. “The most important thing in a negotiation is to be sincere and not change your idea.”

Martin’s departure means Ducati now risks losing the #1 plate to Aprilia, unless Bagnaia or Marquez can overturn the #89's title lead.

“Well, at the moment we are working on it,” Marquez, currently 35 points from Martin and 17 from Bagnaia, said of this year's title chances.

“Things need to be polished. Le Mans and Montmeló we saved it by scoring in the 90th minute like Real Madrid. You can save it once, twice, but you don't save a World Championship [by recovering like that].

“Pecco and Martín do not fail in any practice, but we are doing a great job with the Gresini team, taking advantage of what we have.”

Nonetheless, Marquez is clear: “[Race] victory comes first, because without victories there are no titles.”

So when will the long-awaited 60th MotoGP win happen?

“I believe and trust that 60 will arrive this season. When? It is not known, but one of the things I have learned is not to obsess over it… You play your cards and when you can't, you can't.

“In Mugello, I had a lot of pace in the Sprint and came second and in the race it was more difficult for me and I came fourth.

"But let's hope that victory comes.”