Eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez is set to switch to Gresini Racing next season and has finally confirmed his motorcycle choice for 2024. During a pre-event for the Australian Grand Prix, Marquez led a parade of 400 passionate Aussie MotoGP™ fans to Phillip Island and hosted a post-race Q&A session, putting an end to the lingering question regarding his bike selection. Marquez revealed that he will be riding the current GP23 version of the Ducati in the upcoming season.
“Next year will be interesting. In the end, I will have the bike that is going to win this year's Championship. I am going to have the 2023 bike, but I don’t know how the evolution of it will be.”
The GP23 is currently being used by Championship contenders Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). Both, along with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Pramac-bound Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), are set to receive the upgraded 2024 version. Only four factory machines are available, meaning that Marquez will be riding an older-spec machine in the upcoming season, adding an intriguing element to his transition after 11 years with Honda.
The potential disadvantage remains uncertain, as the GP23 is highly regarded within the MotoGP™ grid. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) currently sits third in the Championship, utilizing last year's factory Ducati machine, the GP22. Both Bezzecchi and Marquez will share the same machinery in the next season and are likely to keep a close eye on securing one of the factory machines in the subsequent campaigns, given that their contracts expire at the end of the upcoming year.