Repsol Honda MotoGP team manager Alberto Puig says Repsol Honda is making progress on agreeing a new contract with its star rider Marc Marquez ahead of the 2020 season.
The Spaniard is set to enter into his eighth season with Repsol Honda this year for what will mark the end of his current two-year deal.
However, after the MotoGP silly season started earlier than usual with Yamaha revealing its 2021-2022 MotoGP rider line-up before pre-season testing had even started, the pressure is on for other teams get riders to sign on the dotted line.
Even so, there are few that expect Marquez to be considering a shock switch elsewhere and no other team has commented that they would be willing to take him under its wing.
“We are talking and seeing the possibilities and it would be good to see if we can get further progress in the short-term because it is something that should be decided soon [sic],” Puig said. “We are working on it.”
However, one factor that could complicate proceedings is the predicted exit of Repsol from a title sponsor role it has held with Honda MotoGP since 1995. The Spanish oil giant’s exit would mean another significant investor would need to replace it, with rumours linking both Red Bull and Shell to the role.
Could Marc Marquez ever leave Honda?
At 26, Marquez has achieved a lot at such a young age… and surely only more will come in the following years.
Many expect Marquez to (attempt) breaking the record for World Championship titles while he has the perfect set up within the HRC fold and before any significant regulation changes that could stutter Honda’s domination.
Beyond that, others think he will attempt to prove his credentials by attempting to win a title with another manufacturer, much like Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner before him.
Attempting to achieve success with Ducati may be tempting given Rossi’s (and to a lesser extent Jorge Lorenzo’s) failure to do so during their time there, while KTM has been uttered in the past as a project that could really benefit from having a superstar to continue its ascendancy. It doesn’t hurt they have the same Red Bull backing.
Then of course, no rider has ever won world titles with 3 different manufacturers… that’s a whole new target to consider.
