Marc Marquez is not ready to commit to another long-term contract with Ducati if his performance doesn’t pick up. The decision is still hanging over the 2026 season.
Marquez’s expected extension following his dominant title win in 2025 was supposed to be one of the first pieces to fall into place. But as of early April, there’s still no deal in sight.
The chance of a renewal remains strong, but Marquez has been clear he won’t sign until he’s fully recovered. He missed the last four races of 2025 after shoulder surgery and hasn’t yet returned to full fitness.
Why Marc Marquez has yet to agree a new contract with Ducati
Speedweek has reported that Ducati boss Luigi Dall’Igna is ready to finalise a deal, but Marquez is holding off. The sticking point is Ducati’s standard two-year offer, which doesn’t fit with what Marquez wants at this stage of his career.
Ducati are holding firm on their usual two-year terms, but Marquez isn’t interested in racing past 2027 if he can’t stay near the front. He’s made it clear that the thought of being stuck in an uncompetitive situation doesn’t appeal to him.
Marquez has yet to finish on the podium in a Grand Prix this season, although he did take a Sprint victory in Brazil. Aprilia seem to have moved ahead of Ducati, and Fabio Di Giannantonio from VR46 has outperformed him so far.
With nothing left to prove in MotoGP, Marquez isn’t keen on dragging himself through another season unless things turn around. Retirement remains a distant possibility for now but hasn’t been completely dismissed.
If Marquez gets back to full fitness and Ducati sort out their issues after the break, those concerns might start to fade away.
If Marc Marquez retires, what could Ducati do?
While nothing’s been finalised yet, Ducati’s signing of Pedro Acosta from KTM seems to be waiting on the new commercial agreement between teams.
If Marquez were to retire suddenly, Ducati would probably look to Fermin Aldeguer to partner Acosta. Aldeguer is set to join VR46, but the factory team’s needs would come first.
Aldeguer was already seen as the natural successor for Marquez even before any retirement talks began. Nicolo Bulega, who’s currently a World Superbikes title favourite and also serves as a Ducati test rider, might be offered to Valentino Rossi as a replacement.
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