One-year Ducati extension seen as good move for Marquez
Ricard Jove believes Marc Marquez would be smart to push for a one-year extension with Ducati that allows him to walk away after 2027.
Marquez’s current contract with Ducati runs through the end of the 2026 season. He joined the team in 2025 on a two-year deal, and while he was thought to be close to extending earlier this year, he later asked the team to hold off on finalising anything.
In March, Marquez said that he and Ducati were aligned on most aspects of a new contract but that he needed more time before committing. The Spaniard is still recovering from shoulder surgery in October following an injury sustained in Indonesia.
The shoulder issue has hampered his start to the 2026 season, leading some to wonder if retirement might be on the table. While that’s not seen as likely at this point, it’s clear his future remains unsettled.
Marc Marquez urged to take a one-year extension at Ducati for 2027
Ducati’s main concern is that Marquez only wants a one-year extension for 2027, with the option of an additional year. The rider remains cautious about locking himself in for two more years, given his ongoing recovery and uncertainty around Ducati’s form in 2027.
From 2027, MotoGP will shift to 850cc engines, ban ride-height devices, and implement new aero rules. Jove believes Marquez would be wise to sign just a one-plus-one-year contract under these circumstances.
“I think the 1+1 contract [that] he’s supposedly asking for is both due to his physical condition and to leave the door open to leave Ducati if the bike doesn’t perform as well as he does in 2027.
“His retirement is getting closer and closer, and each year brings him one less year to win another title.
“Marquez is someone who has demonstrated emotional intelligence and self-control. That 1+1 makes a lot of sense if you have doubts about your physical condition and nobody can guarantee that the Ducati will be the best bike in 2027.
“If you get to next year and things are not going your way because your body is not cooperating and/or neither is the bike, you have the power to decide your future. And, if he ends up getting that 1+1 that allows him to leave freely, it’s a smart move.”
Ducati would prefer that Marquez agree to sign a two-year contract, as is standard practice in MotoGP, to prevent being out of place in the rider market in the event that he decides to retire in 2027. Thus, Ducati and Marquez’s discussions are continuing longer than expected.
The Borgo Panigale natives do not want to be caught in a situation where the best riders are tied down with their rival teams while they are having to find a replacement for Marquez. It could leave Ducati having to get a rider they do not fully believe in to fill their roster in 2028.
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