The announcement came yesterday: Marc Marquez and Ducati will continue their partnership through 2028. It came as no surprise; the decision had been made some time ago, and the Spaniard’s test on the new 850 last Monday in Brno was just yet another confirmation. Marc still wants to race and have fun; in the garage, he’ll find a new teammate, Pedro Acosta, whom many see as his successor.
“I’m thrilled to announce the renewal of my contract with Ducati because that’s what I wanted,” says Marc. “Obviously, I didn’t have an easy winter after my injury in Indonesia, but even in that situation, Ducati continued to believe in me, gave me time, and gave me the confidence to keep believing I could do it. However, I’ve always said it’s best not to make any decisions while you’re in the midst of recovery. Mentally, I feel ready to tackle the next two years because I want to keep enjoying my passion, which is MotoGP. I hope and believe my physical condition will follow suit; step by step, I’m getting back to an acceptable level. We’ll see, but right now I’m completely focused on 2026 because the present is what matters most.”
Will simply enjoying your passion be enough? Don’t you think about winning again?
“My most ambitious goal is to enjoy my passion during the final years of my career. Sometimes athletes end their careers hating their sport because, typically, in the final years you can suffer from injuries, pressure, and a lack of results. What I want to do is try to enjoy these final years.”
Is that the most important thing?
“I don’t know if this will be my last contract, but the important thing is to be able to look back on the final years of my career with fondness. That’s the goal, but I always like to be competitive, to give it my all. I’ll have time to figure out what my goals will be.”
Did you consider the possibility of a one-year contract?
“It was an option on the table, but a two-year contract was best for the project.”
Did you have other offers on the table?
“Throughout my career, whenever I’ve felt comfortable, respected, and the results have come, that place has always been my first choice. I don’t like talking to others if I feel good where I am, so Ducati has always been my first choice. We’d started talking before the end of last season, then we paused because I needed to assess the condition of my shoulder after the injury in Indonesia. At some point, you have to make a decision and believe in it; I believed I could return to a level where I’d be competitive. The last few races gave me the confidence I needed.”
Were you worried before your last shoulder surgery?
“I was scared because after every surgery you lose a few percentage points. Sometimes it’s just 5%—you don’t even notice it—but sometimes it’s more. I’ve lost a lot in this arm, which is why I had to wait; if I’d lost any more, I wouldn’t have been able to ride a motorcycle anymore. After the last surgery, I’ve returned to a level that allows me to continue.”
You’ll have Acosta as your teammate.
“Pedro was one of the best riders on the market, one of the best choices for any team. He’s fast and young; he’ll be competitive right from the start, but I won’t say any more because I have enormous respect for Pecco, who is my current teammate.”
People describe Acosta as a young Marc…
“We’ll have time to talk about that.”
What do you expect from Bagnaia at Aprilia?
“We’ll talk about that this winter too (smiles). I don’t like to talk about the future, but about the present. Pecco is a two-time MotoGP world champion and a very fast rider.”
On Monday you tested the 850—what are your first impressions?
“The first impression is… well, the first impression. I had to take care of a lot of things and do a lot of work for the team. We’ll see how it goes, but it’s a good starting point.”
Let’s move on to Assen.
“If I were to win here… (laughs). I managed to do it last year, but I wasn’t the fastest; even though I was in top form, I struggled because this track highlights all my weaknesses. This year I expect to struggle a bit more; at Brno I learned that I have to take it one day at a time. I don’t set limits for myself, nor do I set goals. This should be the last track on the calendar where I’m likely to struggle, so I want to make the most of this weekend.”
But you’re in the fight for the title.
“I don’t know how or why, but I’m just 40 points behind the championship leader. It’s a gift, but I’ll keep the same mindset. I’ll have time to think about the championship in the second half of the season; after this GP, I’ll know if I can go on the attack.”