Renewing Marc Marquez’s contract for the 2027/28 MotoGP season is a top priority for Ducati—but there are reasons why this will not be so easy.
After Marc Marquez’s impressive show of strength in his first year with the Ducati factory team, the Italian manufacturer now faces the task of negotiating a contract extension with him that is much more complex than his original commitment.
The Bologna-based company’s philosophy has not only earned Ducati the last four MotoGP titles, but has also ensured that the best riders in the field make significant sacrifices to secure a seat on one of the six Desmosedici bikes currently available.
The case of Marc Marquez was the most notable: he gave up his final year of contract with Honda and more than €20 million that came with it to ride for Gresini in 2024.
He rode without a salary in 2024 to get the prototype he desperately wanted. The duel with Jorge Martin for promotion to the factory team for 2025 represented the completion of the plan that the Catalan had devised in his head. The signing of the contract with Ducati, which was announced immediately after last year’s Italian Grand Prix, went smoothly for the manufacturer of the red motorcycles.
Although the contract figures are unknown, Motorsport.com Spain understands that his initial base salary as an official Ducati rider was around three million euros.
That is significantly less than one might expect. This was offset by very generous performance-related bonuses. His eleven victories before his injury in Indonesia earned him more than two million euros in bonus payments.
Added to this was another agreed payment of around two million euros for winning the world championship title. A large sum that reflects his clear superiority on the track and underlines his status as the undisputed benchmark for the manufacturer and the entire championship.
While Bagnaia is now lying on the proverbial sofa, plagued by existential doubts, Ducati is currently dancing to the tune of Marquez, whose market value has returned to the level he enjoyed during his dominant Honda era.
This gives him a strong position in the negotiations for his contract extension. A position he did not have before. Motorsport.com Spain understands that the first talks between the two parties took place before the start of the Asian tour.
This was both before he won the title in Japan and before his injury in Indonesia. Logically, another meeting followed later, presumably in Valencia, where both sides continued to work towards reaching an agreement.
In any case, it remains to be seen what impact the unfortunate accident in Indonesia, which resulted in an injury to his right shoulder, will have. This cost him the last four races of the season and could influence the entire process. If Marquez is clear that he wants to stay with Ducati until at least 2028, then this desire is mutual. For the Italian manufacturer, extending the contract of its new figurehead is a top priority. The choice of his teammate thus takes a back seat.
Ducati’s financial resources are limited
The problem, however, is that Ducati does not have the economic strength of Honda or Yamaha, especially at a time when exports to two key markets (the US and China) are sluggish.
In addition, the tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump have had a negative impact. On top of that, sales at Audi, Ducati’s owner, fell by 11.8 percent in 2024 compared to 2023.
This prompted the four-ringed group to introduce spending limits for this year, which will remain in place until 2026—the year in which contracts for the next MotoGP contract period (2027-2028) must be finalized.
Against this backdrop, the situation in the Borgo Panigale offices is very different from what it was a year and a half ago, when Marquez accepted the terms presented to him without making any demands of his own.
If his gamble paid off and he won, the moment to readjust the contract would come naturally – and that moment has now arrived. Marquez has dominated the 2025 season.
“Every part must be in its place, and it is right that it should be so. We will sit down together to make the best of the situation,” Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati’s general manager, told Motorsport.com Spain a few weeks ago. No one can imagine that the new world champion will not renew his contract, although his future will most likely be determined immediately by who his future teammate will be.
Bagnaia has clearly stated his goals. “My intention is to extend if possible and end my career at Ducati,” the Turin native reiterated in the final races of his worst MotoGP season.
For this to be possible, however, two factors must come together that are currently questionable. First, he must respond and significantly improve his results. Second, he must be willing to reduce his financial expectations. If not, the line of riders wanting to take over his bike will stretch to the end of the paddock.
