Marc Marquez Sets Crucial Condition for 2025 Honda Return
Categories: MotoGP
Published: 9th October 2023
Marc Marquez will likely become a free agent in 2025. The Spaniard doesn’t rule out a Honda return and sets a clear condition.
Marc Marquez is set to conclude his remarkable 11-year stint with Honda at the conclusion of the 2023 MotoGP season.
The news comes as a bombshell for the racing world, sparking widespread speculation about Marquez’s future in the sport.
The six-time MotoGP champion’s next destination appears to be Gresini Ducati, where he is rumored to be signing a one-year deal.
However, the most intriguing part of this saga is Marquez’s commitment to a potential return to Honda in 2025.
El Periodico reveals that Marquez made a significant promise to his Japanese employers during their discussions. He pledged to come back to the Honda fold in 2025 under one crucial condition – that Honda demonstrates clear progress in 2024 and fields a competitive motorcycle.
Marquez even set a challenging benchmark for his potential return, stating that he would consider returning “if one of your riders easily finishes in the top five at the end of the next world championship.”
This audacious offer reportedly caught the top brass at Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) off-guard, and they ultimately decided to reject it.
Honda appears determined to embark on a new era post-Marquez without relying on the prospect of his return as a motivating factor.
Marquez’s offer to Honda was part of what El Periodico describes as “sincere and open” conversations with Honda’s top executives, Hikaru Tsukamoto and Koji Watanabe.
While negotiations were reportedly conducted with a degree of firmness on the part of Tsukamoto and Watanabe, it is clear that both parties were engaged in serious discussions about the future.
With his decision to leave Honda at the end of 2023, Marquez is poised to become a free agent in 2025.
This opens the door to a multitude of possibilities, as Marquez could potentially have his pick of the best bikes in MotoGP after a year with Ducati.
The story takes an intriguing twist with the prospect of Marquez’s return to Honda. If Honda manages to get back on track during Marquez’s absence in 2024, a spectacular reunion between the rider and his long-standing team could be on the cards.
