As a former Ducati rider, Luca Marini knows the strengths of the Italian brand – but transferring them to Honda is easier said than done
2023 Luca Marini made a decision that few would have expected at the time: after three MotoGP years with Ducati, two of them with his half-brother Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team, he switched brands and docked with Honda
The Italian was well aware in advance that he would not be fighting for podium places at the Japanese manufacturer, which had been struggling for years, as he had at Ducati. But even he was surprised that his debut would be so difficult.
With the exception of the Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona, Marini has finished penultimate or last in every Grand Prix race so far. This also means that, as the only regular rider on this year’s MotoGP grid, he is still without a single championship point after seven race weekends.
But his brand colleagues have also been unable to do much with the inferior RC213V. Despite many new parts, Honda has not yet found its way out of the form crisis, while the competition, above all Ducati, continues to improve.
It is no coincidence that the lap records are tumbling at almost every track and the races are several seconds faster than last year. For example, Francesco Bagnaia’s victory in Mugello was 25.5 seconds faster than in 2023.
Of course, this only widens the gap between the current top teams and Honda. Asked about the records, Marini said: “The tires have improved a lot, but Ducati has also improved compared to last year, especially with the new aero package. “
“We, my team and I, look at it very carefully in photos and videos to understand it and copy something from it. Because on these fast tracks, where aerodynamics are very important, they can make the difference.”
However, Marini also admits that nothing can simply be copied: “The DNA of every bike is completely different. You can’t simply copy Ducati. Instead, you have to create the perfect Honda by listening to the riders and engineers and the sensors on the bike in order to improve it.”
In the manufacturers’ championship, Honda is currently in last place with just 19 points – 17 points behind Yamaha, who struggled in a similar way to Honda last season, but were at least able to improve in some areas thanks to some updates.
