PERNAT SAYS LIBERTY MEDIA’S CHANGES COULD PUSH MARQUEZ TOWARD RETIREMENT

Carlo Pernat believes Marc Marquez could leave MotoGP after one more season, with the veteran rider agent pointing to Liberty Media’s growing influence and the demands being placed on riders.

Liberty Media acquired MotoGP last year and has since introduced changes that have divided opinion in the paddock. Among them are fines for riders who miss promotional activities during race weekends. The policy followed an incident at the Japanese Grand Prix, where Marquez sent a body double to take part in a pre-race go-kart event. He said he wanted to keep his attention on racing while fighting for the title.

Pernat suggested the new direction could make the sport less appealing to the Ducati rider. Speaking to GPOne after Marquez’s dominant win in Malaysia, he praised the Spaniard’s ability, saying: “I had no doubts – I’ve practically never had any: he’s frankly from another planet. A Martian who arrived in a magnificent spaceship and has shown us some incredible things. As long as he’s here, he’ll keep winning; then he’ll leave in his spaceship.”

But Pernat expects Marquez’s time in MotoGP may be short. “He’ll probably leave. I reckon he’ll do one more year – next year – because, obviously, he’s under contract,” he said. He added that, amid Liberty Media’s changes, Marquez may be among those who “wants to get out of the way”.

Pernat said Marquez wants to reach retirement age in good health, and argued that the sport’s schedule and risks are weighing on riders. “With all the new rules they’re introducing – the practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, the 44 starts – Marc is realising that it’s no longer a good life for a rider. It’s a life of confinement, extremely dangerous both physically and mentally,” he said.

The possibility of stricter consequences for skipping promotional events has also been raised, with grid penalties reportedly under consideration in place of financial fines. It remains unclear whether Marquez will view such activities differently now that his position in the standings is more secure than it was at Motegi.

Marquez has previously spoken about retiring “in peace”, after winning last year’s title following a long recovery from injury. Another championship would move him level with Giacomo Agostini on premier-class titles and ahead of Valentino Rossi, potentially giving him another reason to pursue a title challenge before deciding when to leave.