But he won't get the best machinery, to all intents and purposes Ducati are building an Italian led dynasty for the future, a Spaniard with his best behind him won't be getting a seat on one ... I'm surprised his under performing brother has a seat on one !
Sorry, but you don't know that. The marketing value of MM to every manufacturer would imo eclipse any doubts of his not winning the championship. MM is known worldwide, by race and non race fans, and that makes him arguably unique.
You are massively over estimating his commercial value, in terms of merchandise and branding he is at best above average but he is not some mythical iconic figure, I'm just back from a track trip to Brno and there were still more VR46 replica lids than there were MM93 ones ... Also you massively overestimate his fame, if Rossi is Pele then at best MM93 is Harry Kane !!!!
After 3 years of injuries and not winning, MM recognition/ sales is still "above average? At the track in Brno MM might not be head and shoulders above all the other racers in terms of fans wearing his gear. But outside the track, most people don't even know the names of any of the other racers much less how to say them...
MM93 as a sports person or brand is nowhere near global in the non biking communities, very very few sports stars reach those levels of recognition, he is just A N Other motorcycle racer, and off the bike in jeans and a t shirt, outside of Spain I suspect he can go where he likes and do what he wants. David Beckham or Michael Jordan he ain't .... and regards 'above average' the average ain't great !!
I agree with this ducati aren’t building a future around a 31 year old Spaniard on xxx amount a year when they’re winning championships with their own young team of largely Italians already. Makes no sense. And if it ever happens I will happily eat my own pants
Giving a ride to an eight times world champion, is not the same building a team around him. Is there no one in your opinion, currently riding a Ducati that MM could not replace and bring a benefit to the team?
Not really, not when you look at the next generation and Ducati will 100% milk the Italian champion on an Italian bike narrative .... what would he bring that they don't already have covered ? He is not particularly well liked, his media persona is ok at best, he isn't a personality in any way .... they don't need the drama he comes with plus he is more fragile than a shed built submersible ...
You really don't think that MM could bring anything to a Ducati powered team and that he is not preferable to their worst rider? I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree.
Thats not a problem, I just don't think Ducati think he is worth the risk and the aggro, I'd be amazed with his fragility if he ever completes another season properly.
One other way to look at this, if Honda/Marc split there would be offers on the table 100%, but would they be offers to want him on their bike/team or to prevent him riding for another? In my opinion, and it's is purely that, he's past his best he cannot now save a crash like he used to, is that age, is that as a result of his injuries, is it the way the bike has evolved in the last 3 years in is absence, or is it a combination of all 3? He is still the main talking point on the UK TV coverage, so I suspect the same elsewhere. But most of that is usually not down to his brilliance, it's more down to him either chucking himself into the scenery or taking someone else with him for the ride. He's already broken several bones this year, something until Jerez race 2 2020 he'd somehow managed avoid breaking anything (other than his eye injury). He's 31, becoming fragile and not able to stay on the bike, and usually rumble around on the fringe of the top 10 from the few races he's actually taken part in in 2023. Compare that to the rest of the field you could have someone who's younger, far cheaper and capable of similar results, and probably not cost you a fortune in repairs week in week out. As they say you're only as good as your last result, and when there are twenty or so younger (cheaper) guys on the grid it's hard to imagine him winning another championship. Dorna will of course try and "assist" getting him into a team if him and Honda part ways, but I think we're not there yet. I suspect he'll see out his contract or retire or both.
Surprised to see Maverick so low down, am I missing something? https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1030632/1/marquez-brothers-top-motogp-falls-list
Exactly this. He and Repsol could Leave Honda and got to Aprilia and he still won’t be winning championships. I never liked the way the guy races and the day he punted Rossi off at Assen, just for him to go grass tracking and take the win, i howled with laughter. I am not even a fan of Rossi.
I think the baggage he brings outweighs his abilities, whatever they are these days. He has a bad reputation amongst many MotoGP fans and iirc a few riders have been critical of his recent behaviour. Does anyone really know what his physical potential is these days? The bike isn’t helping him but he may also be part of the problem. I gave up with him the season he spent making mad final lap kamikaze lunges at Dovi in the hope of getting a lucky bounce to take the win.
Im assuming this rules out 93 to KTM (for the time being at least) LCR owner delivers answer after “friendly phone call” to join KTM (crash.net) Lucio Cecchinello has confirmed LCR will stay with Honda for the 2024 MotoGP season, despite interest from another manufacturer. KTM had expressed interest in securing the two LCR Honda seats for 2024 in a bid to promote Pedro Acosta while keeping all four of its current MotoGP riders. Also linked with a switch to KTM, should they get their hands on two extra bikes, has been Marc Marquez although he too has a contract tying him to Honda until the end of 2024. Bautista: “Marquez has a lot of talent but can’t rely on that alone” Iker Lecuona set for Suzuka 8 hours race or British MotoGP at Silverstone? With no satellite Yamaha team, Ducati holding three who are going nowhere for the time being and Aprilia in their first season as a combined full factory and satellite project, Honda’s LCR bikes were the obvious choice for KTM to go after. But Cecchinello, who is in the midst of a long-term relationship with Honda, has admitted that a phone call from Francesco Guidotti was not enough to persuade him. "I want to be totally honest and transparent," Cecchinello told GPOne. "About ten days ago I received a friendly phone call from Francesco Guidotti and the KTM team manager told me, in a calm and autonomous way, that from the Silverstone GP KTM would like to begin understanding how to move forward. "They are interested in fielding another team in MotoGP, not just for Acosta next year. "He asked me what my situation was for 2024 and I replied that I had signed a three-year contract with Honda that will expire at the end of the next year. "The phone call ended like this and we never heard from each other again." Honda have already seen Alex Rins and Joan Mir linked with moves away from the Japanese brand, despite being in the first of a two-year deal in their respective teams. LCR confirmed as much in regards to Rins, who is in talks with Yamaha about lining up alongside Fabio Quartararo. However, Cecchinello intends to honour his contract from a team point of view: "I have a contract with Honda for 2024 and it’s not my intention to break it, that’s the simple truth."
