Honda to allow Marc Marquez to ride a Ducati at Valencia test

The date appears to have been set for Marc Marquez’s first time on a Ducati.

11 Oct 2023

Marc Marquez, MotoGP race, Japanese MotoGP, 1 October

He has been given permission to ride his new team’s bike at the postseason Valencia test on November 28, Motorsport report.

Although Marquez and Honda have confirmed that their 11-year association will come to an end at the end of 2023, he hasn’t yet confirmed his next move which is expected to be Gresini Ducati.

But two days after the final round of the MotoGP 2023 season in Valencia, we will see the six-time premier class champion ride a Desmosedici for the first time.

It could be crucial prep time for Marquez before he fully integrates with Ducati for the 2024 season.

It is commonplace for riders who have already agreed to join a new team the following year to test their new bike at the postseason Valencia test.

But Valentino Rossi was an infamous exception when Honda would not allow him to jump on a Yamaha until the first day of the next calendar year, depriving him of his first big chance to test a new bike.

This time around, in a move equally as seismic, history will not repeat itself at the Valencia test.