Marc Marquez's investment: in 2024 he raced "for free"

Marc Marquez is attracting attention during this MotoGP winter break. Behind-the-scenes details, previews, and news are emerging about his health, his contract—or lack thereof—with Ducati. Now another rumor has surfaced: in the 2024 season he reportedly raced with Gresini Racing for free, or almost.

After eleven years with Honda and a sizable fortune accumulated, Marc Marquez chose to leave the Japanese manufacturer to find new motivation and reclaim the MotoGP title. Moving directly to the factory Ducati team wasn’t simple, hence the idea of offering himself to Nadia Padovani’s satellite team, where his brother Alex was already riding. The real goal of that move was to prove to himself, after various injuries, that he still had the makings of a champion.

The multi-time champion from Cervera had to settle for a previous-year Desmosedici (the GP23) and an almost negligible salary. When asked what percentage of his salary he had to give up when moving from Honda to Gresini-Ducati, Marc Marquez replied: "One hundred percent. Last year I raced for free with the team... I received part [of the money] from my personal sponsors... It was the investment I made in my career."

A bold and fruitful investment, which led him to win his seventh title in the MotoGP class with the factory Ducati. His personal sponsors also paid him bonuses for victories during the 2024 season. Now it seems time to cash in. He won the MotoGP title in 2025, sweeping aside the competition without much concern.

In 2025 he is said to have received a base salary of around three million euros, plus performance-related bonuses, amounting to roughly two million euros for eleven wins in the season. In 2026 he’s the hot favorite and his financial demands to Ducati are set to rise...