MotoGP Rumor: Honda aims to steal Marquez back from Ducati

Marc Marquez left the Repsol Honda team because he got frustrated that the Honda bikes could not keep up with the Ducati horsepower advantage.

However, he exited Honda by claiming it was not “a bye bye”, it was a “see you later”. What he likely meant was, he would ride Ducatis until Honda improved their engines.

The eight-time world champion has signed a one-year deal with Gresini Ducati.

Team manager Alberto Puig was asked if Honda’s intention is to bring Marquez back for 2025, and he replied to Marca: “Honda’s intention, today, is to improve the motorcycle.

“We have to have a competitive motorcycle again, like we had years ago.

“That is point number one, the most important thing.

“Then, logically, develop the bike during the winter and race in 2024 and see what bike we have and what our riders can do with that bike.

“And, from midseason onwards, really see where we are.

“That’s the only thing I can say now.

“To think beyond that would be crazy.

“Priority number one: develop and improve the bike.”

“The level is very high.

“Obviously, the concessions thing is going to be a great help.

“I don’t know, if the recovery time was, I don’t know, let’s say a year, with the concessions you can do it in half, in six months.

“You need a whole year, at least, to bring a motorcycle to a level, let’s say, close.

“This is going well for you. It is true that when you lose the thread a little on a technical level, recovering is difficult.

“That’s why we think that these concessions are going to be good for us and that they are going to give us the possibility of shortening the times for this.

“Whether it will be two years, one and a half, one, I don’t know. But it’s not two months, of course.”

“It was, honestly, sad, I’m not going to lie to you,” he said when Marquez quit.

“There have been many years, and a lot of success and also many years of a lot of tension and a lot of pain due to the situation, due to the accident.

“In the end, when you put all that together it is a box full of pressure and super good and bad emotions.

“Whether you want it or not, it is hard and it is sad.

“On the other hand, I also believe that in life we ​​have to keep everything that has been achieved, everything that he has contributed to Honda, what we have learned from him, the human relationships that we have achieved with him. It’s been wonderful.”