🐈Marc Marquez provided some interesting clues about his future MotoGP inte🍸ntions during the Jerez weekend.

On the eve of his Spanish Grand Prix, the eight-time world champion - who sensationally walked⛄ out of Honda to join the satellite Gresini Ducati team this season - revealed:

꧟“My goal is to do 100% to have a factory bike next year.”

Currently riding a year-old Desmosedici, the desire for an💧 upgrade to the latest factory bike for 2025 wasn’t a surprise.

It would also fit with rumours that Gresini has𒉰 a chance of acquiring such machinery, at least for one of its riders, should Pramac switch to Yamaha.

Alternatively, if Pramac, currently Ducati’s official satellite team, renews its Ducati deal, Marquez could still achi๊eve the ‘factory bike’ goal by moving to Paolo Campinoti’s outfit for 2025.

But it was 🧜when quizzed on that prospect that Marquez gave away the biggest revelation ಞof the weekend regarding his future plans, effectively that he wasn’t just aiming for a factory bike, but a factory team.

“[Pramac] is a great team, which has factory bikes ꩵand has shown that it is capable of fightin♋g for a World Championship, but it is not a factory team,” Marquez is quoted as saying.

“It is a good team... satellite, but it is not ༺a factory team.”

Making clear that he has no contract commitments for next year and teasin🎀g that "I don't just have one option", t🔜he #93 acknowledged the Ducati is still “the most complete bike on the starting grid… [and] I understand it better and better.”

Given those words, Marquez’s number one goal would surely be the official ཧDucati seat alongside Francesco Bagna✃ia. A deal that would tick all of the boxes in terms of a factory bike, factory team and remaining on ‘the most complete bike’ in the form of the Desmosedici.

Sticking with Ducati would also mean Marquez could bring Gresini crew chief Frankie Carched🌳i with him to the official team and be able to build upon a year’s worth of experience on the Desmosedici.

But with Pramac’s current title leader Jorge Martin long making clear he wil♉l look elsewhere if not promo🐟ted to the factory Ducati team next season, and Bagnaia’s present team-mate Enea Bastianini also above Marquez in the early standings, such a move is not yet guaranteed.

"What is certain is that we will have to sa🌄y no to some important riders," . "It is a very difficult decision. My legs are shaking just thinking about having to make it."

So who else might Marquez’s management be negotiating wit🧔h for the factory team goal?

Given their ong🌳oing uncompetitive situations, a Japanese team - Honda or Yamaha - can surely be ruled out.

That woul♛d▨ leave KTM and Aprilia as a potential Marquez back-up plan if he misses out at Ducati.

At Aprilia, all♐ rider options are open with neither Maverick Vinales nor Aleix Espargaro confirmed beyond the end of this season.

The RS-GP is now a proven winner in the hands of both riders but, at 34, Espargaro🦹 is the oldest rider on the grid and has admitted he may contemplate stepping back to a testing role.

KTM looks more complicated for Marquez, barring the Red Bull personal sponsorship link, with Brad Binder signed until 2026 and rookie star Pedro Acosta assumed ꧟to be joining him next season, in a potential KTM-GASGAS seat-swap with Jack Miller.

Could KTM move Binder to Tech3 to make way for Marquez? It would be a major surprise, and Pit Beirer’s wor🍨ds during the announcement of the South African’s contract extension last season made clear they expect Binder to "stay in orange".

One thing Aprilia and KTM can (currently) offer Marquez over Ducati is the chance to make history as their first-ever MotoGP champion🐽.

Ma🌌rquez conf♏irmed that now is the time to start talking for 2025, aware that doors could begin closing the longer he waits.

On the other h꧑and, the biggest ‘words’ Marquez can offer are results and at his speed on ൩the Ducati is improving with each round.

"It is obvious that contacts are being initiated around Jerez, Le Mans and Mugello,” Marquez said of a timef꧅rame. “At the moment we have to be patient and I think I still have room to continue moving forward on the track."

It’s also worth remembering that Ducati was prepared to automatically promote Martin to the factory team this year, if he had won the 2023 title at the Valenci🅰a finale. 

Admittedly Martin (like Bastianini) was still under contract to Ducati Corse, but it un𝐆derlines that a Ducati champion will almost ce🐲rtainly be 'welcomed' at the factory team.

After falling from the lead of the COTA Grand Prix and Jerez Sprint, Marquez finished just 0.372s behind race winner Bagnaia after a thrilling late b♔attle in the Spanish🔴 MotoGP race.

Marquez’s most recent MotoGP win was at Misano in 2021, his 59th and last for Repsol Honda. He is currently sixth in the world championship, 32 p𒀰oints behind Martin, with 37 points available at each race weekend.