MARC MARQUEZ SAYS RETIREMENT IS LIKELY AFTER HIS NEXT DUCATI DEAL

Marc Marquez says retirement is more likely than continuing beyond his next Ducati contract, putting a figure on the possibility for the first time. The 33-year-old has signed a two-year extension with Ducati’s factory team and will be 35 when that deal ends.

Asked about his plans in an interview with Autosport, Marquez said the question was difficult to answer, but estimated there was a “70% chance that I’ll have retired within three years, and a 30% chance that I’ll still be racing.”

His decision to stay with Ducati came amid uncertainty about his physical condition. He has been dealing with the effects of a shoulder injury sustained last October, adding to a career marked by serious injuries. While Valentino Rossi continued racing into his 40s, Marquez believes his own injury history may make a similarly long career less likely.

Marquez’s outlook has also been shaped by his return from a major arm injury in 2020 and his seventh world championship, won last year in his first season with Ducati. He previously said he was “at peace” after everything he had endured. Now, he says that title has changed how he views the end of his career.

“That title changed the way I’ll retire when the time comes,” Marquez said. “From now on, whether I win one more or one less, [it] won’t make any difference. When I retire, I’ll do so as a free man, at peace with myself.”

He could yet add another championship before his current campaign ends. After the Australian Grand Prix, Marquez held a 10-point lead over Jorge Martin, whose injury has strengthened Marquez’s prospects with four rounds remaining. But whether he wins an eighth MotoGP title or not, he says the achievement of 2025 has already given him peace about retirement.