Gresini Racing Team Owner Nadia Padovani says her team is enjoying a ‘historical moment’ after securing the signature of eight-time Grand Prix World Champion Marc Marquez for the 2024 MotoGP season.

Marquez will team up with his brother, Alex Marquez, on satellite Ducati machinery in a deal that sees him sever ties with Honda after 11 years.

A coup signing for the privateer Italian team, she is looking forward to having such an esteemed champion in its midst and predicts he will get up to speed quickly.

“This is a historical moment for the Gresini Family. The fact that Marc Marquez chose to race with us in the upcoming season is absolutely fantastic and I’m extremely happy to be able to make it official. 

“In less than a season we got really close to his brother, and we’ll welcome Marc the same way, as we’re sure he has all the potential to be competitive on the GP23 from the get-go. 

She also took the time to pay tribute to the outgoing Fabio di Giannantonio, who will make way for Marquez after two seasons with Gresini Racing.

“Last but not least, I would like to thank Fabio Di Giannantonio for his professionalism, and we wish him all the best for the continuation of his career.”

One of MotoGP’s longest-serving teams, Gresini Racing was founded by the late Fausto Gresini in 1997 and went on to run race-winning satellite Honda and Yamaha operations before becoming involved in Aprilia’s burgeoning factory MotoGP project. 

After splitting ahead of the 2022 MotoGP season, the team - now under the steer of Gresini’s widow Padovani - returned in an independent capacity, scoring three wins with Enea Bastianini in 2022, while it has also achieved a Sprint Race win with Alex Marquez in 2023.