Marquez cho꧃se to quit Repsol Honda and join Gresini Ducati in 2024 but, before firming up his decision, he sought out Pedrosa for advice.

Marquez first shared his side of the story to DAZN: “Who did I call? [Shall] I s♚ay it? I called Dani Pedrosa.

“On t𒅌he Sunday of the Japওan MotoGP. I was in my room after the race.

“‘Dani, can I call you?’ And I called him.

“What I asked him,💧 and all that, he can tell you, if he wants!

“But I called him. Becaus🅺e he was at Honda for a long time and he also had an unconventional career.

“What did he say to me? He can tell you, if 🍷he wants! I wonder if he would be annoyed, because…

“I called him for advice rider-to-rider.

“It wasn’🍎t ‘should I or shouldn’t I?’ Because he’s a rider, he wor꧙ks for KTM.

“But rid൩er to rider, I’ve always had a very good relationship with Dani.

“And he helped me.”

Pedꦑrosa has now added further detail, saying: “First of♈ all, I was surprised.

“I was ♒just watching the race and, a few hours la𝓰ter, I got his call.

“I can’t tell you the deta📖ils of what the conver💎sation was about.

“But, obviously, I can say that when ♒I hung up the phone, I wasn’t sure wh♛at his pick would be!

“He just wanted to have this exchange of rider ▨experience.

“Obviously, in my situat🥀ion now with KTM, I cannot advi🏅se him to do anything.

“But we exchanged some information. 

“Maybe, just because I was a long time with Honda🍸.

“He wanted to have a different point of view.

“The sit📖uation was hard to choose, because he was in a contract. He had to split 🧸the contract. That’s always a difficult thing to do.

“I have no doubt about his tale𓆏nt, no doubt about his ability to go fast.

“We’ve see🐭n him go fast in 125cc, in Moto2, in MotoGP. I see no reason why he shouldn’t adapt t⭕o the Ducati.”

Pedrosa, the mo𝓀st successful-ever MotoGP rider to never win a championship, spent six years as Marquez’s teammate at Repsol Honda.

Now a KTM test rider, he has thrilled fans and impressed fellow riders with wildcard outings this s🐼eason.

Although we don’t know if Pedrosa told Marquez to leave꧙ Honda or not, the enduring closeness bet﷽ween them remains fascinating.

Not least because, after 2024, Mar𒅌quez will become a free agent and KTM have a longstanding interest in him.

And if Marquez needs any information about the de♔velopment of their bike…