When the first rumors began to emerge about the possible arrival of Marc Marquez to the official Ducati team for next year, the question of the Red Bull sponsor also quickly arose as an insurmountable obstacle to the success of the operation.
In 2023, when he decided to give up the salary he would have had in his last year of contract with Honda by signing with Gresini to ride a Desmosedici from the previous year, Marquez leaned on his specific sponsors, especially the drinks company energy.
The maneuver, which some defined as courageous while others reckless, also meant leaving behind an official structure to land in a satellite formation. However, the eight-time world champion would have raced with the prototype with which Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin fought for the title in 2023.
The sacrifice for Marquez, at least on an economic level, was enormous. But the Spaniard is starting to reap the first fruits: “Every time I enjoy driving more and the results are starting to arrive,” he explained last Thursday at Le Mans. In France, on Saturday and Sunday he gave a great show of strength, recovering from 13th place and finishing in second position in both the Sprint and the long race.
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Marc Fleury
At 31 years old, Marquez sees on the horizon the real possibility of becoming an official Ducati rider, the most competitive bike of the moment and the one which, in his opinion, offers him the greatest guarantee of returning to winning a world championship. Ultimately, that’s his main goal.
However, this new step in his path that he has already drawn in his mind leads him to have to make another decision. And, once again, the economic aspect plays a decisive role in the path he will take.
If we take into consideration the global agreement in force between Ducati and Monster, which expires in 2025, the rider from Cervera should end his contract with Red Bull, the most faithful ally he has ever had in his career. “Maybe get to this point. At this moment, everything can be discussed,” Marquez said in an interview with Motorsport.com.
The response was as normal as it was ambiguous, given that the incompatibility is evident, if we are talking about a coexistence between two brands that compete directly with each other. At Le Mans this weekend, the theme was insisted on, but this time it left fewer doubts: “In life, sometimes you have to make decisions that you don’t like or that you don’t want to make. We are all here to win, which is why we need to find the best conditions at all times. We have to take everything into consideration.”
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Marc Fleury
A conflict involving up to five sponsors
The alliance between the #93 and the red bull brand would not be the only one that would have to break if Ducati chose him as Bagnaia’s teammate. If we take a look at the sponsors of the Borgo Panigale team and those of the Catalan, there are four more brands that would come into conflict.
The first is Samsung, an electronics brand that has teamed up with the multiple world champion and which rivals Lenovo, Ducati’s main sponsor. There is also Allianz, an insurance company of which Marquez is one of the main image ambassadors, which is a direct competitor of Unipol. Oakley, the brand of glasses worn by the Gresini driver, comes into conflict with Carrera, which the two official drivers have at their disposal.
Finally there is Estrella Galicia, sponsor of the Marquez brothers for years now, which would be in rivalry with Contadi Castaldi, which operates in the sparkling wine sector. Basically. Marquez would have to leave practically all of his current personal sponsors to race with Ducati or, at least, temporarily suspend the relationship with them.
Open to racing with a satellite team
For one reason or another, what is certain is that Marquez’s speech had a turning point at Le Mans. Upon his arrival in Jerez he was asked directly what he thought of the Pramac team and whether he could consider a move there in 2025. “Pramac is a good team, but it’s not official”, he replied categorically.
This Sunday, after crossing the finish line in second place behind Martin, he moderated his words more, suggesting that his priority for next season is to have the latest update of the Desmosedici with direct support from the factory . This more than wearing the red suit: “Next year I want to try to have the latest evolution, of any motorbike, of any colour, of any brand. Because you have more opportunities to fight for the world championship.” This would not only allow him to make a leap and face a possible title challenge with technical guarantees, but would also open the door for him to retain his sponsors.
Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing, Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The backgrounds of Rossi and Lorenzo
It is not the first time that an already anointed super world champion has arrived in Ducati. Valentino Rossi (2011-2012) and Jorge Lorenzo (2017-2018), both coming from Yamaha, have already done it previously. Back then, the Ducati wasn’t the winning bike it is today and its role didn’t have the relevance it has today. In order to sign Rossi, Ducati gave carte blanche when it came to maintaining all personal sponsors.
Lorenzo didn’t have any major conflicts either, as he came with the Monster cap, which he was able to keep at Ducati, which at the time didn’t have any agreements with energy drink brands. In 2017, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer was still recovering from the devastation left by the farewell of the #46, and the arrival of the Majorcan was an impetus to start finding new sponsors that would alleviate the gradual withdrawal of the tobacco manufacturer that had them supported until then.
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