Marc Marquez dominated yet another MotoGP weekend in off-track terms as he swept the paddock into a ‘will he/won’t he?” frenzy at Misano with four days of speculation over whether he was about to break his factory Honda contract to join brother Alex on one of Gresini’s year-old Ducatis for 2024.
And when he tested Honda’s 2024 bike on Monday, that prospect suddenly seemed a whole lot more realistic.
Simon Patterson, Valentin Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer delve into all the drama Marquez created and assess the likelihood of the Gresini move actually happening in the Misano episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.
They explain why their levels of scepticism fluctuated through the weekend, and what the consequences might be for the rest of the Ducati line-up if Marquez made the leap. And our panel makes it pretty clear what outcome they all want to see from this storyline.
Another past champion at a struggling Japanese manufacturer team gets some attention, too – Fabio Quartararo may not be leaving Yamaha before 2024, but is he going to spend 2024 trying to get out?
The San Marino GP itself is also discussed – with some feisty debate over whether Jorge Martin’s flawless domination was actually that impressive given how battered his main rivals were from the Catalan GP.
Dani Pedrosa’s amazing (but not amazing enough to satisfy one panellist) comeback and Takumi Takahashi’s embarrassing one feature as well.
And we also pay tribute to IRTA chief Mike Trimby after his sudden death in the middle of the race weekend, and explain just how huge his contribution to modern MotoGP was.
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