Luca Marini says it would be ‘fantastic’ to have Marc Marquez join Gresini Ducati but that he can’t see the six-time MotoGP champion leave Honda.
Marini is enjoying his best season in MotoGP aboard the Ducati, which can be said for many riders including series leader Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi.
But one rider who is certainly not is Marc Marquez, as the eight-time world champion remains desperate for Honda to improve their bike.
The recent Misano test wasn’t much better for Marquez, who has been toying with the idea of leaving the Japanese manufacturer.
Some sections of the MotoGP paddock thing he could make a sensational switch to Gresini Ducati, while others believe Marquez is enjoying the spotlight without any intention to leave Honda.
After his home round, Marini spoke about the chance of Marquez joining Ducati and whether he would like to see it happen.
“I wish,” claimed Marini. “That would be fantastic. Having a rider of his level with my bike would be great because you can compare data and compare yourself in the same conditions.
“He definitely has a lot to give still. Is he playing with Honda? I don’t know. I wouldn’t give up the 12 million Euros he earns per season.
“Also, the bike now is no longer the one that it was at the start of the championship. They’ve made great progress. I’d be amazed if he left now.”
These comments came after the one-day test which Marini ended fastest. The Italian spent much of the test trying to find a better set-up as he only tested a few new parts.
“We didn’t have a lot of things to test,” added Marini. “We only tested geometry, suspension and some shock absorbers.”
Keyword: Luca Marini on Marc Marquez joining Ducati: “I wish! But I wouldn’t give up 12 million Euros”