The conference preceding the Grand Prix MotoGP from the Netherlands to Assen brought together Marc Marquez, Peter Acosta et Francis Bagnaia, the three drivers whose future was officially announced in the past week.
Marc Marquez was also present due to his victory in Brno last weekend.
As usualWe reproduce his words here in their entirety without any formatting, even though they are translated from English. MotoGP Barcelona Bezzecchi
(I.e. Marc, we will begin this press conference with you.
The adventure in red will therefore continue. Congratulations on your new contract!
In your statement, you say that Ducati gave you time and showed you respect so that you could make the right decision.
Can you explain how you arrived at this decision? With your injury, did you hesitate between signing a one-year or two-year contract? Can you tell us how you made this decision?
Marc Márquez “Yes, of course. I am extremely happy to announce that I have extended my contract with the Ducati Lenovo Team, simply because that is what I wanted.”
Obviously, winter wasn't easy after my injury in Indonesia. But despite that, Ducati believed in me, gave me time and placed their trust in me, continuing to think that I was capable of succeeding.
But when you're in the middle of rehabilitation, I always say it's best not to make any decisions about your future. They gave me time.
And then, mentally, I am ready for 2027 and 2028, because I want to continue to live from my passion, which is MotoGP.
And of course, I hope, and I believe, that my physical condition will hold up and that injuries will leave me alone.
These past few weeks have given me the opportunity to prove to myself that, little by little, I was getting back to an acceptable level to be competitive.
So yes, we'll see. But I want to be totally focused on the 2026 season because, as you know, the present is the most important thing.
🎤 You stated that Ducati was the best place to achieve new, ambitious goals. You've already had an exceptional career with seven MotoGP world titles. What are your goals and ambitions for the next two years? What would you still like to accomplish?
"My most ambitious goal is simply to continue enjoying my passion during the final years of my career.
You know, some athletes end their careers hating their sport or passion, because the last years are often difficult: there may be injuries, pressure, or results that are no longer what was hoped for.
What I want is simply to enjoy the last years of my career. That will be my main objective.
🎤 You got a first glimpse of what awaits you with the Ducati 850cc during Monday's Brno test. A new era is dawning for MotoGP: less power, more lowering devices, less aerodynamics.
What were your first impressions after this brief test drive?
“A first impression is still… a first impression. You have to take many things into consideration.”
There's a huge amount of work ahead for the teams, a huge amount of work with all the new features coming to the league. We'll see how it goes.
But as a starting point, it wasn't bad.
🎤 Let's get back to the present. Marc, you're arriving in Assen with excellent momentum. It's a fast, very physical circuit, and it looks like it will be particularly hot this weekend, which is quite unusual for Assen.
Your victory in Brno last weekend was unexpected. Would it be equally unexpected if you won here on Sunday?
"If I win here on Sunday, it will mean that… (laughs)"
Finally, it's a circuit where, usually, even last year, I wasn't the fastest, but I still managed to win.
It's also a circuit where, even when I was at 100% physically, I already had difficulties. So this year, I expect to suffer a bit more. But we'll see, day by day.
Brno showed me that I had to live things day by day, try to understand things, without setting limits but also without setting goals.
So yes, I think this is one of the last circuits where I'm going to struggle. And I just hope we have a good weekend.
🎤 Just before giving the floor to Pecco to find out his feelings about leaving for Aprilia next year, Marc and Pedro, I would like to come back to you. We have already seen the reaction of fans around the world: Márquez versus Acosta on the same motorcycle. We know that you are both exceptionally talented pilots, but also two strong personalities. There are therefore many expectations surrounding this future rivalry, which promises to be particularly intense. Marc, what do you think about the idea of sharing the same garage as Pedro in the future?
“Yes, of course Pedro was one of the best drivers available on the market. So I think he represented one of the best possible choices for any team.”
He's a fast, young, and fresh driver. So he'll obviously be very fast right from the start. But I won't elaborate further, because I have enormous respect for Pecco, who is my current teammate.
🎤 How did you manage this period, between the extension after your injury in Indonesia last year, then the start of the season, the new injury, the operation, and not really knowing what was going to happen to your future?
How did you get through that time? And was Ducati your only option for the future?
"As always in my career, when I feel good somewhere, when I feel respected and the results are there, it's always my first choice. If I'm comfortable with that choice, I don't like to discuss it with another brand."
So yes, Ducati has always been my first option.
We started talking step by step before the end of last season, then we stopped again, because I told them I needed to know, after Indonesia, how my right shoulder would be.
And then, when I saw that things were moving in the right direction, there comes a point where you have to make a decision.
Because they respected the time I needed, they respected my moment, but it is true that at some point you have to make a decision, you have to believe in it.
And I believe that, little by little, I will return to an acceptable level.
I'm simply asking to get back to a level that's competitive. And above all, these last few races have given me the confidence I need to do that.
🎤 Were you scared before the last operation? I mean, you didn't know what was going to happen after the procedure and you had this strange feeling in your arm…
“Yes, I was scared, because with each operation you lose a certain percentage. Sometimes you lose 5% and you don’t even realize it. Sometimes you lose much more.”
It is true that, on the side of my right arm, I was progressively losing more and more capacity compared to the left side of my body.
And that's when I realized I had to wait. Because if I lost even more of my abilities, I wouldn't be able to ride a motorcycle anymore.
Today, it seems that after this latest operation… because the first part of the season was a disaster… but after this latest operation, it seems that this percentage has returned to a more or less acceptable level to continue and continue to enjoy my passion.
🎤 Marc, we have two more questions for you. You say that the next two years will be devoted to enjoying your passion.
At this stage, does it mean winning races or is it something deeper?
“No, I simply want to enjoy my passion and remember the last years of my career. I don’t know yet if this will be my last contract or not, but I want to remember it in a positive way. Not as a period of suffering.”
That's my main objective.
But, of course, I still love being competitive and I still love giving 100%. We'll have time next winter to think about what goals to set.
🎤 And a second question: facing Pedro with an identical bike, is it a bit like facing a young Marc Márquez?
"We'll have time to talk about it during the winter."
🎤 Have you considered signing a one-year contract?
"Yes, that possibility existed. But, in the end, what was best for the project was a two-year contract."
🎤 Marc, what are you expecting from Pecco with the Aprilia?
"We'll have time to talk about it during the winter. I don't like talking about the future. I like talking about the present. Otherwise, this winter, we'll just be repeating exactly the same things."
Pecco is a two-time MotoGP World Champion. He is therefore a very fast rider.
🎤 At one point, you were more than 100 points behind. Today, you're only 40 points behind.
How do you now assess your chances in the title fight for the remainder of the season?
"I said it in Brno, and I'll say it again today: I don't know how, I don't know why, but I'm now only 40 points behind the leader. It's a gift that came out of nowhere."
I'm continuing with the same mindset, and that's what I need to do this weekend. We'll have time to think about the championship during the second half of the season, I think.
Because not long ago I was completely out of the running, and now I'm back in it. So yes, let's see if I can actually survive this weekend.
And then, from there, try to understand if I can switch into attack mode.
🎤 You said that the Assen TT is a difficult circuit for you. Why?
"The long, fast curves, the cornering speed... All my weaknesses are present on this circuit.
And, on top of that, this year I'm having a lot of trouble changing direction, because of a lack of muscle.
So it will be even more complicated. But we'll see. Maybe driving more calmly sometimes makes me better.
It's possible.
