Ducati Will Accept Marc Marquez With Open Hands

Ducati Sports Director Paolo Ciabatti. (Photo: Cosmas Kopong Beda/VOI)

JAKARTA Ducati Sports Director Paolo Ciabatti has encouraged him to be very open to accepting eight-time Spanish and world champion Marc Marquez into his team next season.

Marquez is officially not going to race for Repsol Honda again next season after 11 years together. The agreement was reached by both parties by terminating the contract a year earlier.

According to rumors, next season the 30-year-old racer will race for Ducati with Gresini Racing. He will partner with his younger brother, Alex Marquez.

"I think he is a great racer, of course, a great champion," said Cabiatti at the Shell Advance and Ducati Corse Press Conference in the City Forests, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday, October 10, 2023.

The MotoGP competition title in the season is almost certain to belong to Ducati. The reason is, their three riders are currently in a row filling first, second, and third place in the standings.

For the top position held by Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati Lenovo Team who collected 319 points. Meanwhile, Jorge Martin and Prima Pramac Racing are only three points adrift in second position.

Then the third position was held by Marco Bezzecchi with the winning team VR46 Racing Team. Bezzecchi has so far collected 265 points, which is the result of seven podiums and three wins.

Cabiatti said that in such a position, Ducati actually didn't need much additional riders because it was already a competition. However, it is necessary to wait for what Marquez can do in Ducati if he joins.

"Obviously Ducati has made different choices for the manufacturers. So, we have a younger racer. But, for sure, it will be interesting for the championship to see what he can do if he goes to Gresini," he said.

In the grid line-up next season released by MotoGP, there are still two vacant seats left. However, so far there has been no official announcement regarding which riders will occupy the venue.

One of the vacant seats is the Gresini Racing team whose rumors will be occupied by Marquez, while the other is in the Repsol Honda team left by the driver concerned.