Marquez–Ducati, salary and spending caps: the renewal is not guaranteed

Ducati and Marc Marquez clinched the MotoGP title in their first year together. The pairing is an unstoppable force at the moment and are tipped to repeat as world champions in 2026 as well. Now the parties face the contract issue, and the signature is anything but simple or guaranteed.

The topic will draw attention until the day of the official announcement. The most logical solution could be a 1+1 deal. This way the Catalan superstar would have the time and opportunity to understand the new balance in MotoGP after the 2027 revolution. At 32, he doesn’t have many years ahead of him, and the goal is to bring as many titles to the trophy cabinet as possible before ending his career. Ducati seems the most logical option. But will Marc Marquez once again give up millions of euros to stay on the Desmosedici?

The philosophy of the Bologna-based company has delivered the last four MotoGP titles to Ducati. All riders are forced to make significant sacrifices just to secure a seat on one of its bikes. The case of Marc is striking, as he turned down a multi-million contract with Honda just to race with Gresini in 2024.

Although the figures of the contract are unknown, it is speculated that his initial base salary as a factory Ducati rider is around three million euros. A figure significantly lower than one might expect. Obviously, bonuses tied to wins have to be added: eleven, before the injury in Indonesia. Converted into hard cash, that would be another two million euros or perhaps more. On top of that comes an additional bonus of around two million euros for winning the world title.

Marc Marquez’s market value has shot back up after the drastic drop during 2020–2023. Ducati absolutely wants to lock down the MotoGP champion through 2028, but its financial resources are limited compared to the Japanese manufacturers. Especially at a time when exports to two key markets (the United States and China) are weak. Moreover, the tariffs introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump have had a negative impact. Furthermore, Audi’s sales, Ducati’s parent company, fell by 11.8% in 2024 compared to the previous year. This has led the House of the Four Rings to set a spending cap, at least through next year.

Negotiations already began toward the end of last summer. “Every piece has to be in its place, and that’s the way it should be. We’ll sit down together to create the best possible situation,” explained Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati’s General Manager, to Motorsport.com Spain. Marc Marquez’s future will also partly depend on his teammate. Pecco Bagnaia has stated he wants to end his career at Ducati. This could happen if he improves his performances at the start of next MotoGP season. And if he is willing to lower his financial expectations, given the results of the last MotoGP season.

In the meantime, the Cervera phenomenon, when asked about the subject, leaves the door ajar for the competition. A few weeks ago, when asked whether a return to Honda was possible, he replied: “I won’t make decisions while I’m injured or not on the bike. It’s an important decision, so I need to be very sure… Everything will only be decided once testing is completed. You have to trust your instincts. It will be a year when everything is open. It needs to be managed in the best way.”

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