Jorge Lorenzo thinks Ducati will make a “low” offer for Marc Marquez, who needs their bike to win
The Repsol Honda rider is contracted at the team which he has become synonyಞmous with until the end of 2024 but his hunt for a seventh premier class title has hit a major early roadblock this season due to his absence through injury.
Now 30, and with a recent h🐟istory litteꦦred by physical problems, Marquez also knows that the best machinery on the MotoGP grid is coming from the Ducati garage.
His former teammate at Honda, the three-time champion Lorenzo, told about the huge contract Marquez is currently on: “When you're 201🌜9 world champion and they oꦜffer you four years for €20m a year with a bike with which you know you can win other world championships, it's hard to say no.
“Espec♏ially if the other teams offer you five times less.
“I think he made the right choice at the time, but now he'll have to understand what suits him best: accept an offer from Honda, which will certainly be very🍬 high, or focus on a fairly low offer with Ducati.
“Ducati doesn't need him to win, while Marc 📖needs 🎶them to do it again.
“Thi꧅s is why Ducati will♌ aim downwards with him, offering nothing compared to the figures we were used to in the past.
“In Borgo Panigale, above all they make short contractꦚs and with low figures, focusing heavily on bonuses.
“The ten, fifteen o🎶r twenty million they used 🅺to be are no longer seen.”
Alex Marquez, Marc’s brother, made the swap from LCR Honda to Gres🌠ini Ducati for this season.
But Ducati have been vocal in denying that tꦗhey will ever target Marc.
Paolo Ciabatti, their sporting director🔴, has said that Ducati prefer to nurture younger champions for♏ the future.
Marquez was seen in his Amazon Prime Vide🐻o documentary telling Honda that, unless they deliver him a bike capable of challenging for the title, he would find a solution elsewhere.
But since then, 𒅌a crash on the opening weekend and the resultant hand surgery has meant Marquez has missed the pas⭕t three rounds.
He 🎃hopes to be backᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ in Le Mans, in two weeks, where the status of a double long lap penalty is yet to be resolved.
Either way, his championship hopes fꦏor 2023 are dwindling already meaning time is running out for Marquez to add to his six titles - and increasing the urgency for him to determine where his fu✃ture lies.
James was a sports journalist at Sky S🦩ports for a d☂ecade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
