MotoGP: Alex Marquez joins Fabio Di Giannantonio at Gresini Racing for 2023

Alex Marquez will join Fabio Di Giannantonio at the Gresini Racing Ducati team next season after confirming his departure from LCR Honda.

Marquez has been linked with a move away from Lucio Cecchinello’s team for several weeks after a tough start to the 2022 MotoGP season. Like all Honda riders, the Spaniard has been struggling to get to grips with the new RC213V.

The 2019 Moto2 World Champion will ride a 2023 factory-spec Ducati Desmocedici, whilst teammate Di Giannantonio will race onboard the 2022 model. So far, Marquez has secured two podiums in the premier class (whilst riding for Repsol Honda) and secured a season-best of fourth last year.

“I’m really happy to announce that I’ll be joining Team Gresini MotoGP, and I’m also very excited to be starting this new adventure,” Marquez said. “It was crucial for me to change in order to recover the same type of motivation I had when I first joined this class.

“This was the best option for me, with a team that helped write the history of this championship. I would like to thank Nadia [Padovani} and all the GR staff for believing in me. I still have half a season left to do my best before starting 2023 with top motivation”

Gresini Racing, who become an independent team once again at the end of last season following seven seasons as Aprilia’s factory squad, has won three races this season thanks to Enea Bastianini.

Meanwhile, Di Giannantonio has recorded a best result of eighth (Sachsenring) so far in his rookie MotoGP campaign. The Italian secured an emotional pole position for his home GP at Mugello.

“I’m really happy with this new project,” Gresini team owner, Padovani said. “First of all we’re confirming our continuation with Fabio Di Giannantonio. He has already shown his talent this year, as he has been improving race after race, and I’m sure that he’ll keep getting more competitive.

“We were looking to put a more experienced rider alongside him, and I think Alex Marquez is the perfect one for our team. His CV speaks for itself. We think he has great potential and that the Desmosedici machine may be the perfect companion on his new journey. Welcome to the family, Alex!” 

Bastianini is expected to move into the Pramac Racing squad, with Jorge Martin being promoted into the factory team alongside Francesco Bagnaia. Jack Miller’s move to Red Bull KTM has already been confirmed.

Meanwhile, the seat vacated by Marquez at LCR Honda is expected to be taken by current Suzuki rider Alex Rins. Suzuki are pulling out of MotoGP at the end of the season, leaving Rins and Joan Mir without rides.

It’s believed that Mir will replace Pol Espargaro at Repsol Honda, whilst Takaaki Nakagami’s time at LCR Honda is also expected to come to an end at the end of 2022. Current Moto2 racer Ai Ogura has been linked with a move to Cecchinello’s team.