Factory Ducati or KTM? Is Marc Marquez plotting something big for 2025?

He w🐈ill end his long association with Honda, it is confirmed, and is likely to join Gresini Ducati for next season.
But t⛎he bigger question might be: what will Marquez do in 2025, after one year with Gresini? And when several high-profile seats on the grid become available?
Factory Ducati
It feels crazy to consider it, but if Marquez has a decent first year as a Ducati rider then surely he💟 will want a factory bike again in 2ꦛ025.
Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini’s current contracts run until the end of 2024. Basti🧸anini, in particul🌳ar after an injury-hit first year as a factory rider, will be under intense pressure to deliver results with or without Marquez breathing down his neck.
But should Marquez find a year-old Desmosedici, which he will ride with Gresini, competitive then his natural instinct will✅ surely look towards the best bike on the e▨ntire grid, which his Ducati employers could easily offer him.
Marquez in red feels impossible but, should h♎e go to Gresini as expected, he’s just one small step away from jumping on MotoGP’s best bike a year later.
KTM

Bef🦂ore the talk about Marquez to Gresini became too loud to ignore, all the rumours suggested he would go to KTM.
The eight-time world champion had dinner with KTM boss Pit Beirer ahead of ⭕the Austrian MotoGP, the manufacturer’s h♏ome race.
He also we🐟nt on a TV show, sit💙ting next to Beirer, where he said: “Now [KTM] are the second best constructor in the championship, but very soon, more than people might think, they will be first.”
Marquez and KTM also share Red B🌟ull as a hugely influential sponsor.
KTM have aggressive plans to expand - they have so far failed to add a fifth bike, or to buy an existing𒅌 satellite team, for 2024.
But 2025 is a different story. They expect to have six bikes on the grid by then, plus another year of development und💙er their belts.
Marquez mig🦄ht not fancy a year of developing a KTM in 2024 but, a year lat♔er if the bike has proved its worth, it might be the most obvious landing spot for him.
Back to Honda
Don’t 𒁃yet rule out a stunning reconciliation between Honda a꧟nd Marquez.
have already r🍸eported that they could reunite in 2025, after Marquez✅ spends one year at Gresini.
The thinking is that, as it stands, Marquez muꦏst negotiate his way out of ൩the most lucrative contract in the sport with Honda, which currently runs through 2024.
Honda, knowing their star man wants to go, could “loan” him to Gresini for a year and allow Marquez to compete for the 𒀰championship, which they cannot offer him themselves.
Honda hope to then be in a position to welcome Marquez 𒁃back in 2025, after they have spent a year dramatically improving their package.
The staf🍸f restructure at the Japanese manufacturer has already started, with chief technical officer Shinichi Kokubu being moved aside. Big names like Davide Brivio and Massimo Rivola have reportedly been eyed up by Honda as they bid to restore themselves to the top of MotoGP.
And if they achieve thiꦿs, then Marquez might believe they are best-placed to compete in 20🐻25.
Other major rider contracts
Scuppering any of Marquez’s plans coul♑d be the other majꦬor riders, and their big contracts, being renegotiated for 2025.
Fabio Quartararo, for example, is due♔ to become a free agent and has already made it clear how unhappy he is with Yamaha’s competitiveness.
Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin’s Ducati deals run until the end of 2024 (as does every rider contract currently) so the Italian manufacturer will have plenty to think about, not just 🍨Marquez’s futu🐠re.
Pedro Acosta is als🦩o set to enter the premier class next season with Tech3 GASGAS. Still only 19, his p♓otential is supposedly incredible.
KTM will want to make sure th🙈ey are able to keep Acosta swe♉et long-term, and this may also effect Marquez’s wishes.

James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a deওcad🍸e covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.