Marc Márquez will ride for free in 2024, and yes, you read it right. The confirmation was given by Paolo Ciabatti who address for the first time about the rider’s future aboard a Desmosedici next season with Gresini Racing colors.
The Sporting Director of Ducati Corse spoke about the decision of Marc to make a season towards next season, even ending a very profitable contract he had with Honda, as told to Moto.it at the podcast «A tutto gas», confessing he didn’t thought that the spaniard wouldn’t be allowed to release his contract with Honda: ‘Even I didn’t think Marquez would be let go by Honda. Then he agreed with Team Gresini, I think after talking for long with his brother Álex [Márquez]. For us it is a great source of pride that Marc has agreed to race with practically zero parameters’.
Ciabatti then said that the #93 considers the italian bike to be the best and… that it will be hard to manage such a big name, who can somehow add extra «pressure» to the factory riders: ‘Besides, he considers Ducati to be the best bike. It is clear that he is a bad customer at home for our riders, it is an extra complexity to manage. But his presence can make the factory riders grow even more’.
Furthermore, the italian Director spoke of the rider’s salary and said… he will ride for free, and that is a reason to be proud about, adding that he won’t be even considered to take part on the factory team on 2025
– That a rider like Marc Márquez decides to race for free, in a satellite team with one of our bikes is a source of pride. I can tell you that Marc Marquez is not a target for Official Ducati in 2025, but as the factory riders are under contract in 2025, minus Brad Binder, it could be a possibility.
It is important to recall that Márquez had a yearly salary of 12,5 million euros with Honda, with some sources to say that this could go up until 24,4 million in case of the rider got to rode in all races, which didn’t happen as he already missed a few.