When people started talking about Marquez maybe joining Ducati’s factory team next year, they quickly realized it could be a problem because of his sponsorship with Red Bull.
Before, Marquez was with Honda, but he left and joined Gresini to ride a Ducati last year. This was a big change for him because he went from being in a big factory team to a smaller one. But now, he’s doing better and getting good results.
Now, Marquez might have the chance to join Ducati’s official team. He thinks their bike is really good and could help him win more championships. But this decision means he has to think about his sponsors again.
Ducati has a deal with Monster Energy until the end of 2025. Marquez’s deal with Red Bull would have to end if he joins Ducati’s factory team. He talked about it and said, “We can talk about it when the time comes.”
But it’s not just Red Bull. Marquez has other sponsors, like Samsung, Allianz, Oakley, and Estrella Galicia. These sponsors might not be okay with Marquez joining Ducati because they have deals with other brands that compete with Ducati’s sponsors.
So, Marquez would have to leave almost all of his sponsors if he joined Ducati. Or, he might have to stop working with them for a while.
Recently, Marquez talked about the possibility of joining Pramac Ducati, a team that gets some help from the factory. But now, after racing in Le Mans and getting second place behind Jorge Martin, who rides for Pramac, Marquez seems more interested in staying with a factory team.
He said, “Next year I want to try to have the latest evolution, any bike, any color, any brand. Because to fight for the world championship you have more opportunities.”
This would be good for Marquez because he could keep his sponsors and still get a good bike. And it would be good for Ducati because they would keep Martin and have Marquez, who’s one of the best riders ever, on one of their bikes.
