Alex Marquez will remain with the Marc VDS Moto2 squad for 2020 after a potential Petronas SRT deal failed to materialise.
Marquez is currently competing in his fifth Moto2 season, all with the Belgian outfit, and leads the championship standings by 43 points over Thomas Luthi having taken five wins.
The Spaniard was strongly linked recently to a move across to the Petronas Sprinta Moto2 team for next year, with a view to graduating to MotoGP with SRT’s premier class project.
It is believed that Yamaha were against the younger of the Marquez brothers competing with a satellite M1 machine though and vetoed the move, forcing him to remain with Marc VDS for at least another year in the intermediate class as he takes stock of his options.
"I am very happy to be able to announce that next season I will continue with Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS in the Moto2 category,” said the 2014 Moto3 world champion.
“I am very grateful for the confidence of the team. With its renewed technical structure, a key part of the current success, I will be able to continue for one more year to improve as a rider, raise my riding level and prepare myself to fulfil my dream of making the leap to MotoGP.
“I am also grateful for the confidence of Estrella Galicia 0,0 during all these years and Marc Van der Straten who will continue to support me in my sporting career so that I can fight to achieve my objectives in the Moto2 category.”
Marc Van Der Straten, Marc VDS team owner, added;
"I'm really happy that the guy, the rider, the man will stay with us for another year,” started the Belgian.
“The option of his promotion to MotoGP next year would have made us excited, as we want the best for him because he deserves it. However, I didn't like the option of him spending another year in Moto2 competing in another team.
“If he were to win the title this year, it would be in bad taste for him to fight for it in 2020 for a rival team when he has been trained with us in this category. Fortunately, he stays at home and will be able to complete his entire career in Moto2 with the Team that has seen him grow.”
Marquez has managed a best Moto2 championship result of fourth since his Moto3 title, achieved both last year and in ’17. He has managed to secure eight victories in total to go along with his four in the lightweight class.
