Why Marc Marquez won’t be tempted to ‘gamble’ with his MotoGP career - and what it means for Ducati Lenovo team-mate Pecco Bagnaia
Published 07/09/2025 at 11:55 GMT+1
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Marc Marquez would prefer adding more world titles to his honours list rather than earning more money, TNT Sports expert Neil Hodgson believes. Marquez is contracted with Ducati until the end of the 2026 season, and feels that after an astonishing season, he will be one of the first riders to commit his future: "Ducati is the safest bet and I can't imagine Marc wanting to gamble at this point."
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Neil Hodgson believes Marc Marquez will be one of the first MotoGP riders to commit his long-term future to his current team, with his eye on "more world championships".
A former Honda rider, Marquez left his contract early in 2024 and joined Ducati Lenovo, where he finished third in the Riders' Championship last season and missed out on adding to his six world titles.
But this campaign has been totally dominated by the Spanish superstar. He leads the standings by a whopping 187 points after claiming 11 race victories this season from 14 meetings.
In addition, his Sprint Race win in Spain on Saturday sealed the Constructors' Championship for Ducati.
"I wonder who's going to be the first big signing? You'd assume it's going to be Marc Marquez, and Ducati will want that early," Hodgson said on TNT Sports commentary.
Hodgson was then asked by Michael Laverty if Marquez could be tempted by a "multi-million pound offer" from the likes of Honda - who reportedly offered him a bumper deal to stay with the team last year.
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"I'd say not," Hodgson replied without hesitation. "I think Marc wants to win more world championships than earn more money.
"I'm not saying that Honda can't do it, because the development is going in the right direction, but you can't help but feel that, short-term, Ducati is the safest bet and I can't imagine Marc wanting to gamble at this point."
Laverty added: "No, at his age, when you look at his age, the season he's put together as a factory Ducati rider, it's back to the heyday, the Marc Marquez 2024 season.
"The dominance is there, so why try and change something that's certainly not broken? You'd pretty much bet on Marc re-signing and being one of the first to do so, and then that begs the question with Pecco Bagnaia."
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Francesco Bagnaia is a fellow Ducati Lenovo rider and is currently third in the overall standings, behind Marquez brothers, with Marc in first and Gresini's Alex in second.
"Then, Ducati basically hold up all the cards, as we know they have done for quite a few seasons," Hodgson said.
"And then you just sit and wait, and see how the season goes, see how the younger MotoGP riders, the talented, younger MotoGP riders are getting on.
"'Do we pick and choose one of them? Do we go with Pecco? Does he rediscover his confidence and his form?' I think that's how they'll play it."
Marquez will hope to extend his lead at the top of the standings when he starts the Grand Prix Catalunya in third on the grid, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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