Alex Marquez to KTM or Yamaha? His future depends on sponsors

The MotoGP rider market registers its first official move, with Marco Bezzecchi renewing with Aprilia. Timelines are accelerating for other athletes as well, including Alex Marquez, eager to sign with a factory team after finishing runner-up in the 2025 final standings. But his situation is not so straightforward...

After spending his entire career in the shadow of his older brother, Alex Marquez became vice-champion at the end of the 2025 MotoGP season. Three Grand Prix wins, three sprint victories, twelve podiums and one pole position propelled the Gresini rider among the best in the Top Class. Numbers achieved on a year-old Ducati, to the point that Borgo Panigale could not remain indifferent. Hence the decision to entrust him with a Desmosedici GP26 in the championship that is about to start.

Alex Marquez made the leap to MotoGP in 2020, as Jorge Lorenzo’s replacement, alongside his brother. It was the year of Marc Marquez’s serious injury, which forced Alex to face a difficult season “alone” in the Honda garage. Despite everything, the younger brother managed to finish two Grands Prix in second place in his rookie premier-class season. The following year, per Honda’s plans, he was moved to the LCR satellite team, where he experienced the technical decline of the RC213V.

When his sporting career seemed headed for apathetic anonymity, Alex signed with the Gresini team. A move that not only turned his career around, but also that of Marc Marquez, who joined him at the satellite squad the following year. In 2024 he received a €350,000 salary, slightly increased in 2025. But with the doors of the Ducati factory team closed, Alex Marquez must look elsewhere to find an official seat.

The options on the table are two: Yamaha and KTM, although Aprilia cannot be completely ruled out. However, sponsors must be taken into account! KTM would be a simpler choice for a rider who has been the face of Red Bull for many years. The Austrian energy drink brand has allowed him to considerably increase his salary. But rumors suggest that Jorge Martin, also Red Bull-sponsored, could race with Yamaha in 2027–2028. This, in turn, is leading to speculation that the Iwata manufacturer might reconsider its sponsorship package. Yamaha’s current title sponsor, Monster Energy, is aiming to follow Fabio Quartararo to Honda.

If Monster Energy were to move from Yamaha to Honda together with Quartararo, and Red Bull in turn joined Yamaha, it wouldn’t be the only major shift in the beverage sponsorship landscape. Red Bull is considering sponsoring the official Ducati team starting in 2027, both to bring Marc Marquez back into its program and to continue with Pedro Acosta. Although the contract signed by Monster with Ducati is valid until the end of 2027, the green “M” brand could consider an early exit if it manages to place its logo on the Honda ridden by Quartararo.

This would pave the way for Yamaha to sign Alex Marquez. Marc Marquez’s younger brother had already signed a pre-contract with Yamaha for the 2020 MotoGP season. The deal then fell through for two reasons: the rivalry between Valentino Rossi and Marc, and Rossi’s influence within Yamaha’s management.

KTM would be an interesting option for Alex, but there remain some doubts about the financial guarantees of the Mattighofen manufacturer. Francesco Bagnaia is considered one of Alex Marquez’s main rivals for the second Yamaha seat alongside Jorge Martin.

Aprilia would be the last alternative for Alex Marquez, although the Noale manufacturer, which has a significantly smaller budget, is close to signing Enea Bastianini. Aprilia has not yet received a response from Bagnaia’s manager. In any case, Gresini would keep its doors open for Alex even beyond 2026.