Honda denied that Mark Marquez tried to seduce him to stay with a huge financial offer.
Marquez hasn’t looked back since he ended his most profitable rider contract at MotoGP a year earlier to join Ducati.
However, in Spain, it was allegedly that Honda made a final attempt to keep him up – a four-year deal worth a total of 100 million euros, Marquez refused.
Honda responds to Mark Marquez’s “lie” for 100 million euros
“Lis! Pure lie! That’s totally wrong!
“Honda has never tried to maintain the mark with money. Never.
“I repeat: Honda knew he had to let him go freely, so he did.
“Neither mark asked anything, Honda didn’t ask for consideration. Never. Never.
“The year Mark left on his contract was never a problem.
“And again, that wasn’t a lie. Mark didn’t want money, he wanted a winning bike.”
After a Ducati season a year ago, Marquez was promoted to the factory team, dominated 2025.
He leads the MotoGP rankings – and would have even greater advantages if he didn’t make two costly errors in Texas and Jerez.
“If you add a very, very special rider, the results are what we’re seeing,” Puig said.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of argument, or I don’t think anyone is surprised at what Mark is doing or how he’s doing it.
“You don’t have to be a great mathematician to guess that kind of thing.
“When Mark signed a Ducati, it was being in front of you. So, what do you think it’s funny when people get hooked on comparing data?
“I repeat: there’s something happening when everyone knew what was going to happen.”
Ducati continues to dominate the MotoGP with five top riders.
However, the sixth was LCR Honda’s Johann Salco, who won the French MotoGP last weekend.
Zarco’s victory was a statement that Honda was on his way home.
