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Marc Marquez, MotoGP eve with two question marks

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We are now less than twenty-four hours away from the official start of the MotoGp World Championship: the timed sessions on Friday, February 27, at the Buriram circuit in Thailand will in fact kick off the rainbow competition that this season sees Marc Marquez still the favorite with his Ducati, although there is no shortage of competition, both among the other riders riding the various declinations of the Desmosedici and among the centaurs of the other manufacturers. Marquez spoke at a press conference about just that, responding in kind to those who see him already with his 10th title in the bag.

“Every season is complicated – said the Catalan, in his second season in the official Ducati team -: you cannot be the fastest in every race, but my goal is to find continuity on all tracks. In these first outings I expect to grow step by step over the weekend. Last year, as in 2024, I had confirmation that I can still be fast enough to fight for the World Championship. I felt in great condition and I translated these positive feelings to the track”.

Francesco LuciveroMotoGP, highest paid riders: salaries World 2026

MotoGP, the highest paid riders: salaries World 2026. Source: Marca
10 Alex Rins (Yamaha): 2.2 million euros. The Spanish rider is all'last year in Yamaha
9 Enea Bastianini (KTM): 2.5 million euros. The Italian rider is expected to move up a level after a season of acclimatization in KTM
8 Joan Mir (Honda): 3 million euros. The 2020 world champion must climb back up after four difficult years
7 Jack Miller (Yamaha): 3 million euros. The Australian is in his second year at Yamaha
6 Johann Zarco (Honda): 4 million euros. The French rider is the highest paid in Honda
5 Maverick Viñales (KTM): 4 million euros. The Spanish centaur is hunting for a revival after a difficult season
4 Jorge Martin (Aprilia): 4.2 million euros. After a nightmarish 2025, the 2024 champion hopes to turn his Aprilia experience around
3 Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati): 7 million euros. The two-time MotoGP world champion is hunting for redemption after a difficult 2025
2 Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha): 12 million euros. The 2021 world champion could be in his last year at Yamaha
The excluded: Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez. Paradoxically, two of last season’s best riders are also among the lowest paid. Acosta has a salary of 1.5 million in KTM
Marc Marquez’s brother, Alex, draws less than a million euros from the Ducati Gresini team
1 Marc Marquez (Ducati): 17.2 million euros. The world champion’s base salary is 12 million euros, raised after last season’s victories

A not insignificant doubt concerning Marquez is related to the’injury suffered in Indonesia in the championship finale, which prevented him from ending an otherwise triumphant season. “It turned out to be more serious than expected – he said, referring to the knockout that forced him to go into surgery again a few months ago. -I hope I still have room for improvement in these first few races, although I don&#8217t know what my 100 percent really is with my right arm. I will have to keep pushing to figure it out”.

The question about the future was inevitable, but the number 93 on the grid tried to dribble it out: “When you wear Ducati colors you think about the present and the fight for the title– he said. “There&#8217s great harmony within the team, we have to figure out how far we can go but I&#8217m really happy to be here. I hope Ducati is also happy with me”.

Born in Cervera, a hillside town in Catalonia, on Feb. 17, 1993 (so he just turned 33), Marc Marquez is in his nineteenth season in MotoGP: in his trophy cabinet he boasts the 2010 125 title, the Moto2 title in 2012 and no less than seven Moto Gp titles, won in the 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2025 seasons.

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