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If the test at Misano proved something then it was the fact that Honda needs to let Marc Marquez go while Ducati has to make sure it picks him up. The Japanese team and the Spanish rider have fallen on hard times recently. Marquez's injuries have kept him out of action for a while and at the same time, the bike has taken a turn for the worse.
In what should be considered a damning verdict of the kind of season that Marquez and Honda have had, the Spaniard finds himself one point behind Dani Pedrosa. To add more context, Pedrosa has only raced in two weekends this season and has been able to accumulate more points in that time than Marquez.
After the test in Misano, Marc Marquez was not too pleased with his run and did admit that there was another option he might opt for. While the Spaniard continues his quest for a better bike, it's fair to say that it's about time Honda lets the superstar rider go.
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Honda's rebuild will take years
It is only going to take a disillusioned soul to claim that Honda's rebuild process can happen overnight. No, it won't. The place where the Japanese brand finds itself right now is a result of inertia within the team. The team's inability to adapt to changes in bike philosophy is what has caused this mammoth deficit to the front.
You look at a Honda and you see shades of what used to be the bike that Marc Marquez rode back in the 2010s. There are aero fairings but they are mere additives to the motorcycle and not intrinsic to the bike design. The squad lacks the technical knowledge to compete in this new MotoGP era and a change is needed.
It is safe to say that the Japanese brand has realized that change is needed. It is also safe to say that the change will not come in a month or two. It's going to take years of restructuring and hiring. Honda is not going to be a championship-contending bike in 2024 and any possibility of that happening seems remote at this stage.
Marc Marquez cannot drive at the back for another year
Marc Marquez, on the other hand, is just not willing to spend another season riding at the back of the grid. Unless Honda improves and does so quickly by next season, Marquez will not spend his time on that bike challenging for positions outside of the top 10.
The Spaniard has been very clear when it comes to his expectations from the bike and if they're not met he is not going to spend a year fighting for nothing. Especially since he is in the later stages of his career and who knows for how long he will continue within the sport.
Marquez has already publicly flirted with both KTM and Gresini Ducati in the last few weeks. If the Repsol Honda is not up to the mark all it will do is bring negative headlines over where the Spanish superstar finishes in a race. it's been a painful experience for both the rider and the team this season and the media has relentlessly targeted the duo as well.
It's better for Honda to improve in the shadows and away from the limelight and if that means letting go of Marquez then it should bite the bullet and get it over with.
Ducati can't afford Marc Marquez to go to KTM
On the other side of the coin, Ducati is in a very peculiar position where even though team boss Paulo Ciabbati does not want Marc Marquez riding the brand's bike, it does risk sending the Spaniard to KTM.
At the moment, KTM is arguably the second-best bike on the grid. The team has done a brilliant job and is slowly closing the gap to the front. The Austrian squad is, however, struggling with its lineup already. It has four bikes and five contracted riders. Jack Miller, Brad Binder, Pol Espargaro, and Augusto Fernandez are the incumbent riders and all of them have a contract for next season.
Surprisingly, a fifth contract has already been offered to Pedro Acosta, the current Moto2 championship leader. KTM and Marquez have had a relationship in the past as well and Red Bull's affiliation with Marc also comes in handy. The Austrian brand wants six bikes on the grid by 2025 and is working towards it.
The team has also shown a propensity to be aggressive when signing new riders. If Marc Marquez is in the market, it wouldn't come as a surprise if KTM rips up other rider contracts and gives him a seat. Say what you want about Marquez, but he still is one of, if not the best rider on the MotoGP grid.
His moving to KTM will be a massive step up for the Austrian unit and make the team a more potent threat for Ducati. This is exactly what the Italian brand needs to avoid. It needs to avoid the possibility of its rivals finding that x-factor in the form of Marc Marquez.
That is exactly why Ducati needs to make sure the ongoing rumors of a Gresini-Marquez alliance come to fruition. Will Marc Marquez on a year-old bike be a direct competitor of Francesco Bagnaia in the works team? Well, if Enea Bastianini can be one in 2022 then Marc can surely do that as well.
However, even if Marc Marquez does end up beating Francesco Bagnaia in a works Ducati, it would still be a win for the Italian marque. On the other hand, if Marquez gets his hands on a works KTM in 2024, he will be a potent threat. If he does beat Bagnaia in that case, it would be a win for the Austrian brand.
Marquez in a competitive bike will be a contender next season. Ducati now needs to decide whether that would happen with the Italian brand or it will happen with KTM.
