Marc Marquez has confirmed that he will leave Honda at the end of the 2023 MotoGP season, with a confirmation he will join the Gresini Ducati outfit expected soon.
The Spaniard had been heavily rumored to be looking for a way out of Honda after it failed to get on top of the issues it had with its RC213V prototype throughout the 2022 campaign, resulting in it finishing that year’s championship sixth and last in the constructor’s standings.
Its problems have only worsened this year as the RC213V has proven to be the trickiest motorcycle to ride of the current crop, with its riders routinely crashing due to the lack of fidelity afforded by Honda’s current challenger.
The Japanese organisation has fired Technical Manager Takeo Yokoyama and General Manager Shinichi Kokubu across the past year, and at the behest of Marquez has started to hire personnel from European brands Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM, who are the current pace-setters in MotoGP.
Honda’s actions have come too late for its six-time champion though, and it announced on Wednesday morning that it would be parting ways with Marquez at the end of 2023. The two parties still had a further year left on the four-year deal they had signed together back in 2020.
“Honda Racing Corporation and Marc Marquez have mutually elected to terminate their four-year contract prematurely at the end of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship season,” began Honda’s brief statement on its split with Marquez.
“With a year remaining on the four-year contract between HRC and Marc Marquez, both parties have mutually agreed to end their collaboration upon completion of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship season. Both parties agreed it was in their best interests to each pursue other avenues in the future to best achieve their respective goals and targets.
“Both parties will continue to give their full support for the remaining rounds of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship season.
“HRC wish Marc Marquez the best in his future endeavors.”
Marquez’s Honda exit brings to an end a partnership that had lasted a decade since he made his premier-class debut with the squad for the 2013 term.
He went on to win all but one title across the following seven seasons courtesy of 59 wins, 64 pole positions, and a total of 101 rostrum finishes.
A nasty crash for Marquez in the 2020 Andalucian Grand Prix led to a three-year battle to get race-fit once again, his success in the 2021 Emilia Romagna GP at Misano his only win since his final title to date in 2019.
