Red Bull is reportedly set to end its sponsorship arrangement with Honda’s MotoGP squad at the end of the 2023 season, according to Austrian publication Speedweek.
The Austrian energy drink brand has sponsored the Japanese manufacturer for nearly two decades since 2006, the year Honda won the title with Nicky Hayden following a thrilling battle with Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi.
According to Speedweek, Red Bull has elected to cut short its deal with Honda to move to Gresini with Marc Marquez, who announced last month that he would be leaving the brand after ten years and six premier class titles to join the Italian outfit on a satellite Ducati bike.
It will retain title sponsor Repsol for 2024, though it’s currently unknown whether Honda’s current uncompetitive spell twinned with the loss of Marquez will prompt the Spanish lubricants giant to call time on its 30-year relationship with the marque.
Rumors abound that Luca Marini has been selected as the man to succeed Marquez alongside 2020 MotoGP world champion Joan Mir at Honda in 2024.
These rumors were strengthened on Monday following the Malaysian Grand Prix after Marini’s current team – his half-brother Valentino Rossi’s VR46 operation – shared an image of Marini wearing Repsol leathers as a child. This hint could be taken that Marini’s deal to move to Honda could be a done deal.
Current Moto2 form-man Fermin Aldeguer, who has secured wins in the last two intermediate class races in dominant fashion with the Speed Up squad, has been tipped as the most likely successor to Marini at the VR46 Ducati outfit alongside Marco Bezzecchi next term.
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