Marc Marquez: Honda chief suggests six-time MotoGP champion can leave contract a year early if he is unhappy

Honda MotoGP head Alberto Puig has appeared to tell Marc Marquez that he is free to leave his contract a year early.

Marquez has a four-year deal with the team that is due to run until 2024, but his team announced that he would not take part in the Dutch Grand Prix after a succession of crashes at the last GP in Germany.

The six-time MotoGP champion was able to take part in yesterday’s sprint race at the track in Assen, but after an accident in qualifying with Enea Bastianini, he started in 17th and was unable to improve upon that.

Puig later suggested that the team’s talismanic rider will be free to leave despite the four-year deal he signed in 2020.

“We have a contract, but every person is free to do what they want in life,” said Puig. “And Honda is not a company that wants to have people who are not happy being at Honda.

“So, of course we have a contract, but Honda respects Marc a lot. I want to think [he will stay] based on the contract, but I don’t have a [magic wand].”

Marquez was similarly non-committal about his future, saying: “So now I am in a big moment and I cannot think about this.

“You cannot decide things about your future when you are in such a condition. During this month and a half I need to rebuild my body and the mental side.

“I am in one of the worst moments of my career. But I’m very lucky that I am in one of the best moments in my personal life, with a very good team around me. Everything is stable and this helps a lot.

“So now I need to think, to breathe, to speak with my people… and then I need to ride the bike again.

“I’ll try to start at Silverstone with the same commitment as in Portimao [the season opener]. Obviously there will be a different approach, but the same commitment.”