Marquez: ‘What can Honda say to convince me? Maybe I am convinced already…’

Marquez appears increasingly likely to swap the Repsol Honda colours for that of Gresini Ducati in 2024, although no announcement had been made.

That is expected to come after Honda’s home round at Motegi this weekend, but when asked about his future, Marquez didn’t want to let anything slip.

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"In my mind, I am quite clear," said Marquez about his next move. "On the mental side, I don’t have any doubt about me or what’s best for the situation. 

"We are working not only here, but in the past races, to find the best to have a better future for the project. To have the best results as soon as possible. The target is the same - to find the best way."

Asked if there’s anything Honda can do to convince him to stay, Marquez again gave little away although he did admit that working on the Honda project has continued to be a big focus for him despite the speculation.

"I mean, maybe. What can they say to convince you? Maybe I am convinced already!" added the eight-time world champion. 

"I never said ‘right or left’. I said ‘I want to find the best solution’. I want what’s best for the project. 

"We are working together, the relationship isn’t rider-manufacturer. It’s a special relationship, many years together. They gave me many things, I gave them many things."

If Marquez does leave Honda it will result in the Japanese brand losing arguably the greatest rider of a all-time.

Massive shoes to fill, LCR Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami thinks it would be a disaster if Marquez leaves: "It would be massive, massive because he knows how to ride the Honda. 

"We know very well that he’s an amazing talent. Hopefully everyone believes that he will stay at Honda. From my side, it’s better he stays at Honda from my side and for Honda."

After a return to form for himself, but also the Repsol Honda team as a whole in India, Marquez’ teammate Joan Mir will be using the new 2024 chassis on one of his bikes this weekend.

But Marquez will not due to the 2024 prototype having very specific ‘positives’ that he believes won’t work as circuits that are not of a stop-and-go nature.

Marquez said: "Joan Mir will ride with the 2024 prototype chassis. I won’t, at the moment. In Misano I felt positives and negatives. 

"Maybe here they will be positive. But I believe that prototype is not the way to ride for a season. 

"So, for me, there’s no [reason] to race with one chassis, then another chassis. I keep going with what I believe and what I feel.

"India was a really good weekend for the Repsol Honda team. On my side, we worked in a good way. It was a solid weekend apart from a small crash, when I was trying to follow the Ducati riders to find a way to fight for the podium. 

"I rejoined and the pace was there, it was very good. We will perform in a better way than Silverstone or the Catalunya MotoGP.

"I enjoyed it, if you’re in the top five or six positions it’s a different feeling, you ride in a different way, your mentality is different. Here, I can be in good shape, at a good level."