- Marquez and Ducati have agreed on most contract terms, but a signature is still missing
- The season opener in Thailand was disappointing for Ducati, yet Marquez was still the manufacturer’s best rider
- From 2027, Pedro Acosta is set to join Marquez in the factory Ducati team
The 2026 MotoGP season has only just begun, but off the track, much of the conversation already revolves around next year. Marc Marquez, nine-time world champion and reigning MotoGP champion, has not yet renewed his contract with Ducati. While a continuation of the partnership is considered all but certain, the 33-year-old Spaniard is deliberately taking his time. The reason lies not in financial disagreements or sporting doubts, but in the lingering effects of a shoulder injury that continues to trouble him.
Contract Talks on Ice: Marquez Wants to Feel Fit First
At the season opener in Buriram, Thailand, and at a subsequent sponsor event in Madrid, Marquez offered insights into the state of negotiations. He explained that he and Ducati had already agreed on the key points. However, he had asked the manufacturer from Borgo Panigale to hold off on the final signing. “When we started talking about our future, I was injured. I need to feel good on the bike first – then I will sign the contract,” Marquez said.
Already during the Buriram test in February, he had emphasized that he did not want to sign a new contract until he felt physically at 100 percent. Another open discussion point is the duration: whether Marquez will sign with Ducati for one or two more years has not yet been decided.
Despite the missing signature, Marquez appeared optimistic after the Thailand weekend. He spoke of the two-week break before the Brazil GP in Goiânia helping him take another step physically. “Slowly, I’m feeling better and better,” he indicated.
Thailand GP: Ducati Under Pressure, Marquez as a Bright Spot
The season opener in Buriram was sobering overall for Ducati. In the Saturday sprint race, Marquez was on course for victory but was penalized by race stewards for a controversial move against Pedro Acosta and had to let the KTM rider past. Second place in the sprint was still Ducati’s best result of the weekend, as the next Desmosedici riders Fabio Di Giannantonio and Pecco Bagnaia finished only in 8th and 9th.
In Sunday’s main race, things got even worse. Marquez retired with a destroyed rim and a blown rear tire. The best Ducati rider was ultimately Di Giannantonio in 6th. Competitor Aprilia, meanwhile, dominated: alongside race winner Marco Bezzecchi, the manufacturer from Noale placed three more RS-GP riders in the top 5. For Ducati, it was an unusually weak showing, further compounded by Marquez admitting that he is still unable to ride the new GP26 the way he envisions.
The Sprint Duel with Acosta: A Taste of 2027
As disappointing as the overall picture was for Ducati, the duel between Marquez and Acosta in the sprint race was electrifying. Hardly anyone had expected the young Spaniard to be fighting for victory on his KTM. But Acosta surprised with strong race pace and a motorcycle that worked brilliantly under braking and preserved the tires.
The duel with multiple position changes culminated in that controversial overtaking move by Marquez one lap before the finish, which race control ultimately penalized with a position return. Acosta thus secured his first sprint victory in MotoGP. Both riders played down the incident after the race, describing it as normal hard racing. But the scene gained added significance considering that Acosta is set to become Marquez’s teammate in the factory Ducati team from 2027.
What had previously seemed like a distant future scenario suddenly took on tangible shape. The way the two engaged on track was reminiscent of two alpha males marking their territory before they actually share a garage.
Parallels to Rossi and Lorenzo at Yamaha
Two true alpha males in a factory team: that is a constellation teams are reluctant to enter into. The last comparable situation in MotoGP was the pairing of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha, which famously descended into open hostility.
The potential partnership between Marquez and Acosta shows distinct parallels. A young challenger moves into the team of an established world champion and begins to shake the throne. The crucial difference, however, lies in the age gap. When Lorenzo joined Yamaha in 2008, he was 21, Rossi was 29 and at the peak of his career. Between Marquez and Acosta, there is a full twelve-year gap. When the 2027 season begins, Marquez will be 34.
Added to this is the physical wear and tear. Marquez’s body bears the marks of numerous severe injuries, while Acosta, assuming a crash-free current season, would enter 2027 in peak physical condition. Keeping the younger rival at bay could be the last great challenge of Marquez’s MotoGP career – but possibly also exactly the motivation he needs to keep pushing his limits, even with nine world titles.
Ducati’s Management Faces a Delicate Task
At Ducati, they are likely already bracing for a demanding situation. Even in the recent past, the management had their hands full managing the tensions between Marquez and his current teammate Bagnaia. With Acosta as the new partner from 2027, a management challenge of an entirely different dimension could emerge.
Should Acosta confirm the development he showed in the Thailand sprint race and establish himself as a regular contender for podiums and victories, the question will loom whether Marquez’s immense experience and tactical cunning are enough to keep the hungry youngster permanently behind him. The Buriram sprint race has shown, in any case, that this rivalry has the potential to become the dominant narrative of the coming MotoGP seasons.
Marquez Also Thinks Beyond the End of His Career
Beyond the contract questions and the rivalry with Acosta, Marquez also spoke about his long-term future at the Thailand GP. Asked whether he could imagine being active as a team owner in MotoGP after the end of his racing career, he remained open without committing. “At the moment, no, because I’m fully focused on riding,” he explained. “If you’re a rider, your life is fully focused on riding. In the future, you never know.”
He will end his career sooner or later and then decide, Marquez emphasized. One thing, however, is certain for him: “I know that MotoGP and motorcycles are part of my life and will remain a part of my life.”
There are already several teams in MotoGP that are run by former riders. The VR46 team belongs to Valentino Rossi, LCR is led by former Grand Prix rider Lucio Cecchinello, and the Gresini team, where Marquez raced alongside his brother Alex in 2024, was founded by the late Fausto Gresini and is now led by his wife Nadia Padovani. In the new era under Liberty Media, the interest of prominent investors in MotoGP teams is also growing. Tech3, for example, was sold to a consortium led by former Formula 1 team principal Günther Steiner.
Until that time comes, however, Marquez is focusing entirely on the present: on his physical recovery, the open contract with Ducati, and the Brazil GP in about two weeks as the next opportunity to get his title defense on track.
