The Thai Grand Prix will be remembered as one of the most spectacular of the 2023 MotoGP season, battles without discounts enlivened Sunday’s race and made everything unpredictable until the checkered flag. Not only the fight for the podium, incredible duels also took place behind the top three, one of which saw the two Mooney VR46 drivers as protagonists: Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi competed for fourth position, with the latter having the best.
Some difficulties with the rear tire then forced the driver from Tavullia to move back and thus cross the finish line in eighth position. Certainly not the final result he would have wanted, after the spectacle offered in the race and the ambitions after the front row achieved in qualifying: “The result obtained today is not enough, I expected a little better. The first three were certainly very strong and very fast. I tried to manage the rear tire a lot, but it finished before the others. I struggled a lot when braking and entering corners.”
“When I slipped, it was difficult to have a good turning and this also penalized the exit, even if the problem was on entry,” says Marini. “I spoke to other riders and heard their opinions, but they said it was ok, just the last 4 laps, when for me this started with 9 laps to go. We have to look at the data to understand where I used the rear too much and put too much temperature, to find a solution for next time. There can also be the same problem in Malaysia, so it is important to lower the tire temperature.”
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Luca Marini, VR46 Racing Team
The battle with Bezzecchi may have been an accomplice to the wear of the rubber with the consequent rise in temperature. Did the harsh brawl contribute to increasing the problem? Marini doesn’t rule it out, even if he offers a broader picture: “Maybe yes. We need to figure out if I did something different. I honestly didn’t feel like I was doing anything strange, I was driving well. But even before the battle with Bez I was struggling with the rear, I arrived without being able to defend myself too much. But as a rider I can’t use it as an excuse, we just need to find a better solution or understand whether to do something different or use the body in a different way.”
The race in Buriram was not easy also due to the high atmospheric temperatures, which put all the drivers to the test. The Aprilia standard bearers were very clear in expressing the enormous difficulties, but Marini also explained the reason for so much effort: “The heat is impressive, the bike transmits a lot of heat, you breathe hot air. When you follow another rider you sweat even more than alone and it’s very, very difficult. But that’s the way it is right now, we can’t change too much in my opinion. The race wasn’t easy and I expect the same in Malaysia. For me, even with my shoulder not yet 100%, it was even harder. In the end, all the braking on the left was very difficult. But that’s how it is, so it’s important to stay at the front.”
Also taking center stage at the Chang International Circuit is the drivers’ market. Although all the saddles for 2024 have already been assigned, the most…hot one remains empty. Marc Marquez leaves his seat at Honda vacant and it seems that the main candidate to replace him is Fabio Di Giannantonio (here are his words). However, the Spanish media spread rumors that Alberto Puig went to Luca Marini to offer him Marc’s place: “Ah! It makes me very happy, these voices make me happy. However, I have a contract with the Mooney VR46 team and I have no clauses. However, I am very happy, we are doing an excellent job with the team. We have grown a lot this year and we will certainly aim for even more important goals in 2024.”
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