2024 MotoGP concessions wouldn’t have stopped me leaving Honda

During the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend, Autosport revealed that MotoGP had presented the five manufacturers with the proposal to return concession benefits next year.

This current proposal is aimed at helping Yamaha and Honda to return to the front of the grid, with both factories struggling massively in 2023.

The idea is that restrictions will be placed on a sliding scale, with Ducati to get hit the hardest in 2024, while Yamaha and Honda will benefit the most.

Concessions – which were in place in MotoGP between 2014 and last year – were first mentioned as possibly returning for 2024 several months ago.

Asked by Autosport if last weekend’s news coming earlier in the year would have changed his mind about leaving Honda, Marquez said: “No, I already knew two months ago that they would have concessions.

“So, that would not have changed my plan. And I wish the best for Honda.

“I have a one-year contract [with Gresini] and I will try to do my 100% to be fast on the race track, because if you are fast on the race track you have more possibilities for the future.”

Ducati agrees with the restrictions it is being faced with in 2024, but KTM and Aprilia are reported to want tougher ones put in place.

This is something Ducati, who has won the constructors’ championship for 2023, has rejected.

“When KTM and Aprilia needed the concessions, and Honda didn’t need them, they gave it to them,” Honda’s Joan Mir added on the matter.

“I think it would be selfish if now that we need them ourselves, and also Yamaha, although they are in a different situation, they didn’t give them to us.

“We need a little bit of help to get to the level [of the leaders again].

“They wanted to put so many Ducati on track that we need a little help ourselves too.”

Ducati, Aprilia, KTM and Suzuki all benefited from concessions between 2014 and 2021, with Yamaha and Honda never being eligible due to its success during that period.