Alex Marquez will join the Honda factory squad alongside World Champion brother Marc Marquez on a one-year deal, stepping up from the Moto2 world championship.
Marquez – who secured the Moto2 title with a race to spare in Malaysia – was rumoured to be joining Repsol Honda following the announcement that current rider Jorge Lorenzo would retire from professional racing at the end of this season.
Originally it was thought that LCR stand-in Johann Zarco would be favourite to take the berth, but Marquez emerged as the leading candidate throughout the Valencia finale this weekend, with Honda making the news official ahead of the first pre-season test tomorrow (Tuesday).
A short statement from HRC read: "Honda Racing Corporation is pleased to announce the signing of double World Champion Alex Marquez. The young Spanish rider will join the Repsol Honda Team on a one-year contract.
“He will move from the intermediate class to partner eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez in 2020 for his debut season in the premier class aboard the Honda RC213V.”
Marquez was expected to continue in the intermediate class for at least one more year, having penned a deal with current squad Marc VDS after a potential deal with Yamaha satellite outfit Petronas SRT fell through.
He also secured the 2014 Moto3 world title with the Estrella Galicia team, with his Moto2 title with Marc VDS coming in his fifth year in the series.
