Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Corse Sporting Director, believes that the Italian outfit are on of the options available to the HRC superstar.
One of the hottest topics within the paddock over the last few weeks, speculation is rife that we may see eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez end his long-standing partnership with Repsol Honda. Rumours have surfaced in recent weeks that the #93 may opt for a switch to Ducati, chiefly alongside his brother Alex at Gresini Racing, and now Ducati Corse Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti has not only fanned the flames, but doused the fire with fuel in his latest interview with MotoGP™ Pitlane reporter Jack Appleyard.
“As far as Gresini goes, I think it obviously looks like they have this opportunity and they are waiting for Marquez’s decision. I see here that Marquez is very fast with the Honda so yeah, we hear what you hear. He will talk to Honda management in Japan and make a decision but it is something up to him and the team. We as Ducati have four contracted riders which are the two at Lenovo and Pramac and that’s it.
“This is what we hear, I think everybody knows. I think there are no other options left, it’s the only bike without a rider and Marquez says he had three options. For sure one is to stay with Honda, the other two we can only guess so don’t ask me more, you should ask Marc Marquez and Gresini, people from Gresini, what’s going on. We are negotiating nothing.”
It’s perhaps the biggest hint yet that Marquez to Ducati machinery is very much on, and it seems just a matter of time until we find out for sure. – www.motogp.com
