Marc Márquez wants a 2025 motorcycle regardless of the brand, but… will it really be like that?

After 11 years with Honda, Marc Márquez said goodbye to the Japanese manufacturer at the end of 2023, and for the first time in his MotoGP career, he is with another manufacturer. The competitiveness of the Spanish rider is already noticeable, as he stated that in 2025, he wants to race with a more updated bike, regardless of the brand – he is currently riding a Desmosedici GP23 with Gresini Racing. But is it really like that? Can any manufacturer keep alive the hopes of having the former world champion as long as they meet his desires? Marc Márquez said he wants to be with a “2025” bike next year and that the manufacturer doesn’t matter, but let’s consider some scenarios. What motivated Marc Márquez’s departure from Honda was precisely the lack of competitiveness of the RC213V, with the rider even claiming that, in addition to the worsening of his mental state due to the lack of results, he had even considered putting an end to his career. When he abruptly announced his departure from Honda, which happened in a very emotional and intense way, with #93 saying that the Japanese team was a true family to him and that mentally it was a very difficult decision to make, Gresini Racing played with time and made a masterstroke by moving to hire the Spanish rider, in a timing that was practically perfect since most of the MotoGP teams were already closed at that time.

However, and looking ahead to the next season, the desire is to have a completely updated bike at his disposal, Márquez will certainly want to maintain the level he is currently at or even improve: he has managed to achieve podiums and compete for race wins as it happened, for example, in the past GP at Le Mans, and that raises a question: updated bike, very well, but any one, even? It doesn’t seem like it’s that simple and it’s easy to understand why…

Let’s imagine the scenario in which Honda, which has two secure riders for 2025 – Johann Zarco and Luca Marini, both hired this year – but has two vacancies, decides to move forward with the hiring of Márquez, would he accept given the current competitive state of the bike? It seems practically impossible or unimaginable that Márquez would accept since that would be like taking a trip back in time and returning “to the past” because, looking at what is seen at this moment, there are no clear signs of a return to the top.

And Yamaha? Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo are secure, but there is a rumor that the Japanese manufacturer is trying to secure Pramac Racing as a satellite team for 2025 but even if that were to happen and two more riders were needed, would Márquez accept to ride with a bike that has also been underperforming? It seems unlikely even though, in general terms, Yamaha seems a little more “capable” than Honda at this moment.

The Ducati, on the other hand, seems to be working to keep Pramac on its side and precisely equips the team of Jorge Martín and Franco Morbidelli with factory bikes, which could be the most logical option or even… Ducati itself signing a contract with the Spaniard, although, for a matter of logic, what might make more sense would be to try the best of both worlds: “grab” Martín (who has already said he wants a factory team, regardless of the manufacturer), and give Márquez the said factory bike… at Pramac.

The Italian manufacturer could thus have Pecco Bagnaia and Martín in the factory team and Marc Márquez with a 2025 bike in its satellite.

So what about the factory Aprilia, and Trackhouse Racing, or KTM and GASGAS Tech3? They are viable options but Aprilia seems to be the best positioned since it has no rider under contract for 2025, while KTM has Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder secured and two others in “limbo”, Jack Miller and Augusto Fernández and certainly will not have financial lining problems to provide Márquez with what he wants, especially since this has been an “old” courtship of the Austrian manufacturer.

One thing is for sure, the market depends on the decisions Ducati makes and from there the rest will unfold… Let’s wait and see.