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When something is unlikely, it doesn't mean it's impossible. Every now and then we are surprised to discover that unlikely events happen: that's when we talk about EXTRAORDINARY.
These are events that rarely occur in what we believe to be ordinary reality. But what is ordinary? Well, something that statistically has a high chance of happening can be defined as ordinary.
It is true, however, that special people are capable of thinking outside the box. Great managers, for example, have this ability. And why not give it to great riders too?
All this to say that the rumour that has been going around for a week or so now is about to come true. Or rather, that the improbable is becoming possible.
We are obviously talking about the most talked about market move of the year: the exit from the Repsol-Honda team of eight-time world champion Marc Marquez who seems to be on the verge of making a decision as crazy and reckless as the one taken by Eddie Lawson in 1988, when he left the factory Yamaha to move to the private Honda team managed by Erv Kanemoto. The result is written in the history books.
Marc Marquez is therefore preparing to turn the page. Has he already signed? No, but he might do it after 11 years, six world titles and 59 victories with Honda to move to Ducati in the very private Gresini team. If Fausto had still been in command, it would have already been done. We seem to still hear his voice, with his unmistakable accent, in our ears.
“Take Marc Marquez if you have the chance? It would be crazy not to!”.
“What is the Gresini team's other option to replace Fabio Di Giannantonio?”, a Ducati insider who we prefer not to quote told us. The meaning is: why did they reject Arbolino, if it was already clear that they wanted to replace Diggia?
After all, there are many cons to this operation, but also just as many pros: Marc's presence in Pramac would put him in direct competition with the official Lenovo team. And even if Paolo Campinoti wouldn't have any problems, Ducati certainly would and has to protect its investments.
With Gresini, instead, Marc would find himself riding a GP23, which however has already proved in its previous models, with Bastianini in 2022 and with Alex Marquez this year, that it is worthy of the podium. Indeed, of a victory.
Marc Márquez is obviously not saying anything about his future and reiterated what he has been saying for months: "I have a contract with Honda for 2024". Today, however, he added that Monday's test certainly has its importance, but so does the work behind the scenes of the Japanese giant, which is practically rebuilding its racing department to adapt to the new needs of the competition.
It is no mystery that Honda Moto is currently the only manufacturer that does not have a European base. Yamaha has already started the transformation with Marmorini's group. HRC's next step will be to leverage the expertise of Honda's Formula 1 base in England.
"The Honda test is not decisive for me - Marc said today - The most important thing on Monday is that I test next year's bike, and that I give the engineers the best information and advise the direction for the future".
Today Marc, to those who reminded him what he said regarding Rossi's poor results in recent years that he wouldn't feel like racing at the back, reiterated that he still has the same opinion. And that he is not having fun in the current situation.
Here at Misano, moreover, Marquez achieved his last victory in MotoGP, in 2021. Times long gone given that Marc was still fighting for the podium in the Sunday races at Le Mans and Mugello in the spring, while now he only finished 13th in Barcelona, despite several crashes and retirements. And while the Honda rider achieved 3rd and 5th place in the sprints in Portugal and France, since June he has achieved results between 11th and 19th in the sprints.
An attitude that the champion explains with the new philosophy of not crashing by doing a 'little homework' which, however, still leads him to always be the best of the Honda riders.
“He's in a situation where it's best for him to change,” Michele Pirro said to us, putting himself in his shoes.
“Honda should get out of the cone of light of the spotlight in which Marc is framed”, say in unison the Spanish press who even interpret an Instagram story of #93 listening to a song, 'Estan Pasando Cosas', (Things are Happening) which is a kind of meme that usually accompanies the shirt changes of the Barcelona players.
There are also those who say that in Marquez's contract there are no penalties if the champion, instead of a manufacturer, joins an unofficial team. This would mean zero penalties.
The unlikely is about to happen. If everything leads to the maintenance of the status quo, the importance of Honda, the sponsors, the policy of Dorna, we know that an alignment of the planets of the solar system causes a gravitational pull on the sun which is negligible, because their total mass is in fact just over a thousandth of that of our star.
And Marquez is the sun in MotoGP.
