THE rumour mill has been working overtime in the last few weeks, as the world began to imagine what the future could be for Repsol Honda MotoGP star Marc Marquez.
Fanning the flames of uncertainty even further was a certain Jorge Lorenzo, who was putting all his money on the six-time champion making the switch to Ducati power in the not-too-distant future. And on paper at least, you can’t really argue with the idea. Marquez is a born winner, and his last couple of seasons, which have been hampered by injury and a Honda that no longer seems competitive, will surely have had Marquez considering his options for the future.
That future though doesn’t look like it’ll be on a red bike, after the Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has put an end to the speculation, claiming that Marquez is not right for the Bologna outfit. As reported by Crash.net, Domenicali was talking to Sky about the rumours. “These things are nice because they make people talk,” he said “like in the sports bar. But I think it's not the right thing for us. We have an amazing group of riders that we have raised ourselves.
“Francesco Bagnaia is a crazy talent, he's underestimated, he still makes some mistakes but he's there. If he hadn't made a mistake we would have already talked about [another] championship. But there is not only Pecco, we also have Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin, and many young people who we are following.
“Marquez is an extraordinary talent, he doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. But Ducati draws its strength from the way we work with our riders. Ours is a family spirit, today we are fine like this and we will continue like this. The results are giving us [the] reason.”
With there seeming to be no room at the Ducati Inn, what the future holds for Marquez really is anyone’s guess. He’ll likely see a move to a satellite outfit a bit much of a step down from where he currently is, although, with his contract due to run out at the end of next season, he’s either going to have to hope the Honda improves or begin the search for a new home.
