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MotoGP: Marquez says choice of teammate "doesn't matter"
Marc Marquez says he does not care who his 2015 Honda MotoGP team-mate is now that he has secured his new deal.
Honda announced on Wednesday that it had re-signed reigning world champion Marquez for the next two seasons. It has yet to reveal its plans for current second rider Dani Pedrosa, who has been with Honda since his MotoGP career began in 2006.
Yamaha duo Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are also out of contract at the end of this year, although both have expressed their desire to stay with the team.
Asked how he would feel if Honda tried to hire his 2013 title rival Lorenzo, Marquez said all that mattered to him was his own situation.
"My goal was to be on the Honda and with HRC, and now I'm there," he said. "Of course I need to have a teammate and I know that in Honda the team-mate will be strong because it is the best team in MotoGP. But I'm there, so for me it doesn't matter who my teammate is."
LORENZO: YAMAHA STILL PRIORITY
Lorenzo reiterated that his preference was to agree a new deal with Yamaha and spend his entire MotoGP career at the team, despite its current struggle to match Honda, but he said contract talks were not high on his agenda at present.
"For the moment, we are not in a hurry for this aspect," he said.
"It is still too soon. We are in the fifth race of the year so we have plenty of races to go.
"My priority, as it has been for the last few years, is to stay at Yamaha.
"It would be a dream to stay at Yamaha for my whole MotoGP career.
"My manager is working in this area. I'm working on the track."
The team also has reigning Moto2 champion Pol Espargaro under contract and has placed him at its satellite Tech 3 squad.
But Espargaro said there was no timescale in place for an elevation to the factory team, and that if Lorenzo and Rossi chose to stay put, he would be content at Tech 3.
"It's a little bit complicated," he said. "If the factory guys want to be in the factory team, there is no place there.
"My target is just to have a good year this year. I'm so happy with my team, it would be no problem to have another year here, it would be a pleasure."
Yamaha duo Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are also out of contract at the end of this year, although both have expressed their desire to stay with the team.
Asked how he would feel if Honda tried to hire his 2013 title rival Lorenzo, Marquez said all that mattered to him was his own situation.
"My goal was to be on the Honda and with HRC, and now I'm there," he said. "Of course I need to have a teammate and I know that in Honda the team-mate will be strong because it is the best team in MotoGP. But I'm there, so for me it doesn't matter who my teammate is."
LORENZO: YAMAHA STILL PRIORITY
Lorenzo reiterated that his preference was to agree a new deal with Yamaha and spend his entire MotoGP career at the team, despite its current struggle to match Honda, but he said contract talks were not high on his agenda at present.
"For the moment, we are not in a hurry for this aspect," he said.
"It is still too soon. We are in the fifth race of the year so we have plenty of races to go.
"My priority, as it has been for the last few years, is to stay at Yamaha.
"It would be a dream to stay at Yamaha for my whole MotoGP career.
"My manager is working in this area. I'm working on the track."
Rossi announced at Le Mans on Friday
that he was asking Yamaha for a new two-year deal.The team also has reigning Moto2 champion Pol Espargaro under contract and has placed him at its satellite Tech 3 squad.
But Espargaro said there was no timescale in place for an elevation to the factory team, and that if Lorenzo and Rossi chose to stay put, he would be content at Tech 3.
"It's a little bit complicated," he said. "If the factory guys want to be in the factory team, there is no place there.
"My target is just to have a good year this year. I'm so happy with my team, it would be no problem to have another year here, it would be a pleasure."
Originally on Autosport.com
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