FILE PHOTO: Apr 14, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Marc Marquez (93) of Spain and Gresini Racing MotoGP rides in warmups before the start of the MotoGP Grand Prix of The Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
(Reuters) - Six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez said he wants to return to racing on a factory bike in 2025 after switching from Honda to Ducati satellite team Gresini Racing ahead of this season.
Satellite teams use older versions of the bikes, with Gresini currently using a Ducati Desmosedici GP23, as opposed to the factory Desmosedici GP24 machines being used by the Ducati and Pramac Racing teams this year.
"At the moment I have nothing clear. Of course I would like a factory bike," Marquez said in an interview on MotoGP's website on Thursday.
"My work is to try to do 100% to have a factory bike for next year. I don't have contact with anyone, I just want to do the best and if you are fast on the racetrack you will have more options to choose from.
"Of course around Jerez, then Le Mans and Mugello there will start to be some contacts (with manufacturers), this is true. But at the moment I have some margin on the racetrack to keep going."
Marquez, who is eighth in the standings, is looking to claim a fourth career win at this week's Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez.
The Spaniard was leading the Grand Prix of the Americas earlier this month at the halfway stage but crashed out due to an issue with his front brake.
"The team is working a lot, super hard with Ducati to see what we can do for the future to not have these problems again," Marquez said of his preparations for Sunday's race.
"But I am here to learn things, and now we need to clean all these small mistakes to be more constant on those top positions."
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
