Like Hamilton, who has signed for Ferrari next season for a fresh challenge after 12 seasons at Mercedes, six-time MotoGP world champion Marquez has also joined an Italian team in Ducati.
The 31-year-old severed his ties with Honda at the end of 2023, one year before his contract was to expire, following a slump in the Japanese manufacturer’s performance.
Marquez’s career stalled following a number of injuries. He suffered a shoulder injury in 2018 that required surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process.
That was followed by an arm injury following a crash at Jerez in 2020 that threatened to put an end to his career, and he had a further setback when he was diagnosed with double vision following a crash at the end of 2021.
He was diagnosed with diplopia again in 2022 after suffering a huge high-side in the warm-up ahead of the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika.
However, this season he joined the satellite Ducati team Gresini Racing, where he has impressed and remained in good health to earn a move back to a factory team for 2025.
The tantalising prospect will see him go up against two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati in a bid to add to his world crowns.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-AMG F1 Team, in the pit lane
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Hamilton, who himself is eyeing a final roll of the dice in his quest to move clear on eight F1 world titles, is a huge MotoGP fan and says he cannot wait to see the Spanish rider get back to his best riding for such an iconic team.
He said: “That’s awesome, he’s incredible. I love MotoGP, and really excited for the future of the sport as well.
“I think that they’ll be learning a lot from what has happened with Liberty and Formula 1 over the past years. And there’s a lot of growth that will happen. But the racing is amazing.
“And then to see Marquez on that Ducati, it’s gonna be cool. I mean, Ducati has always been such a cool bike.
“I think from an athlete’s perspective, and from a rider or driver’s perspective…
“It’s maybe some of you, maybe in a job for a long, long time, it’s great to have something new, a new environment, new desk, new people to work with, and new challenges.
“And there’s nerves. There’s all these things that you are unsure of, in the sense that you don’t know how you going to blend in the environment, for example.
“But that’s exciting. And it’s great when you’re welcomed into a new space. So yeah, I think it’s really cool. I can’t wait to see him now on that bike.”
