Eight-time world motorcycle champion Marc Márquez has officially announced that he will not be sponsored by Red Bull in 2025, as he joins the official Ducati team in MotoGP, as we reported recently.
The link between Márquez and Red Bull has marked his entire career in the premier class, with the energy drink brand’s logo featuring prominently on his helmet from his days at Honda to his move to Gresini Racing in 2024.
One of the initial obstacles to Márquez’s move to Ducati was the team’s association with Monster Energy, a direct competitor of Red Bull. Despite the lack of clear statements on how the situation would be resolved after the Ducati contract was announced, the end of the partnership was hinted at during the post-season tests in Barcelona last month.
At that event, Márquez tested the Ducati bike for the first time with equipment free of any reference to his usual personal brands, including Red Bull.
At an event held at Red Bull’s Hangar 7 in Austria, Márquez confirmed the split: ‘This is the last commitment now. Ducati has another sponsor, so we can’t continue [with Red Bull]. Out of respect for Red Bull, I won’t have a personal sponsor. I want to thank the Red Bull family and I hope we remain friends’.
Although it is not yet clear how Márquez will represent Monster Energy in 2025, it is unlikely that he will take on the format of personal sponsorship as he did with Red Bull. The association with the brand should align with the commitments of the official Ducati team.
This change closes a significant chapter in Márquez’s career, as he now begins a new stage with Ducati, without one of the partners who has accompanied him since the beginning of his MotoGP career. It remains to be seen how this new phase will unfold, both in sporting and commercial terms.