Luca Marini faces a completely new challenge at Honda in 2024 – In this interview, he explains how it came about and what ambitious goal he is pursuing
Luca Marini had just signed his contract extension with VR46-Ducati when Marc Marquez announced he was leaving Honda a year before his contract expired. Marini saw a unique opportunity to join an official factory team and the Italian jumped at the chance
This not only meant leaving the MotoGP team of his famous half-brother Valentino Rossi after three seasons together, but also getting involved with a completely different bike, a new culture and way of working. A bold move, which Marini was the first to talk to Rossi about.
“To be honest, the first person I called was my brother. Mainly because he is the boss of the team, the owner. But also because he is a person with great intelligence and a lot of experience.”
“I explained to him what I had in me, that I thought it could be an opportunity for my career, for my life. Together with the academy, with my manager and Honda, we started talking and everything came out of those conversations. “
Marini: “Didn’t have to convince anyone “
Although many names have been mentioned in the speculation about Marquez’s successor, Marini says in retrospect that he did not have to ‘sell’ himself too much to be chosen by Honda. “To be honest, I didn’t have to convince anyone.”
“At that time (the decision was made at the Malaysian Grand Prix, November 10-12) there weren’t many riders on the list to get on the Honda. There were a few, but they analyzed each season, what each rider did, in qualifying, in the races, this and that,” he says.
“In the end, they saw that of the riders available, I could be the right one. In the conversations with the Japanese, with Alberto (Puig) and the others, I just had to let it come to me so that they could get to know me, so that they could get to know the rider that I am. It was a normal process. “
With a hard-negotiated two-year contract in his pocket, the 26-year-old now says confidently: “I think I’m the right rider for Honda at the moment. “
Podium chance “in a short time”?
At the same time, Honda is the “ideal team” for him. “Because it’s a dream. It’s like playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona. It’s spectacular.” Marini is aware that Honda’s technical package is not the best at the moment. However, he firmly believes he can change that together.
“With the experience I have in MotoGP with the Ducati and with everything I can give Honda with my feedback, we will be fighting for the podium again in no time,” the Italian is certain and is looking ahead.
“I think we can only improve at the moment. We have to be patient and give ourselves time, there is no need to rush. MotoGP is a really complicated sport, with a lot of competition. There is not only Ducati, but also KTM, Aprilia and Yamaha, who are working a lot to improve their bikes.”
“It won’t be easy, but we have to work better than our rivals. I believe we have the potential and the right people to do it. “
