A 🦩six-time MotoGP champion with Honda, Marquez will leave the Japanese manufacturer after spending 11 years together.

It’s become clear that Marquez, who is ready to fight for race wins and 🐻championships, lost patien༒ce with Honda over the last couple of seasons.

• Tearful Marc Marquez’s firꦐst heartbreaking words about quittinꦉg Honda 
• Official: Marc Marquꦚez to leave Repsol Honda at end of 2023

But ♎still, the sudden decline for Honda has been astonishing and therefore resulted in Marquez getting out of his contract a year early.

Set to become a Ducati rider, Marque🐲z will leave💝 big shoes to fill but who are the contenders to replace him.

Iker Lecuona

Although the WorldSBK rider wouldn’t be a direct replacement as it’s likely the Spaniard would move to LCR, thus allowing Johann Zarco to move 🏅to Repsol, Lecuona is considered of the favou🅰rites.

A stand-in rid♓er on multiple occasions so far this season, Lecuona would be the most logical option given his MotoGP experience, growing experi𝐆ence with the RC213V and his relatively low cost. 

Lecuona already confirmed prior to the Portimao WorldSBK round that he w🐈ould be staying with Honda in 2024, although the team and championship was not mentioned.

Jake Dixon

One of the biggest talents in Moto2 and a constant threat to Pedro Acosta, Dixon has taken ﷽a big step forward in 2023 which is why his name has been linked to MotoGP seats.

With the Gresini seat heading the way of Marquez, Dixon could secure a premier class move with a switch to LCR, again makingও him a non-dir💯ect replacement for Marquez.

British broadcaster TNT Sports touted the idea ofꩵ Dixon being an option fo🎀r Honda at the last round in Japan. 

Celestino Vietti

Another Moto2 r🀅ider and one that would be a major surprise is Celestino Vietti. After challenging for the title in the first half of 2022, the Italian suffered a big dip 🙈in form which carried into the current Moto2 campaign.

However, Vietti has once again reminded everyone of his talent in re🤪cent rounds after winning in Austria and finishing second at Misan🎃o.

A 🐼rider that is also attracting💮 MotoGP interest for 2025, Vietti has an outside chance of making that a reality in 2024 by joining LCR Honda, which would again mean Zarco moves to Repsol alongside Joan Mir. 

Maverick Vinales

The biggest nam♏e on this list and one that, like Vietti, comes as a poten🌸tial surprise is Vinales who has reportedly been contacted by Honda.

Vina🌳les is very happy at Aprilia, a feeling the team shares regarding the Spaniard, making this🍌 a near-impossible move for Honda.

Vinales is also on a much more competitive package 💙so tempting the former Suzuki and Yamaha rider away fro🎃m Aprilia would be very challenging. 

Miguel Oliveira 

Like Vinales, Oliveira has been cont▨acted by Honda who have been in touch with nearly every rider on the grid a𝓀s they desperately look for a replacement for Marquez.

Capable of winning MotoGP races in both wet and dry conditions, Oliveira could bring a lot to Honda, including his ability 🐎to quickly adapt to a new bikꦆe.

Consistency has also be♔en a strength of Oliveira’s duri𒅌ng his time in MotoGP, especially when he's had a competitive package.

Fabio Di Giannantonio

If Honda misses out on a rider of Vinales or Oliveir🍰a’s talent, then another option could be Fabio Di Giannantonio.

The Italian is set to be replaced ඣby Marquez at Gresini and will be looking for a seat in order to remain on the MotoGP grid.

Di Giannantonio has shown fla🅘shes in recent races which could be enough for Honda to take a chance on the 24-year-old.