Today should have been the big day of the announcement of Luca Marini’s arrival at Honda as Marc Marquez’s heir for the next two years. Everyone took him for granted, so much so that the rider from the Marche was included among the protagonists of the press conference that opened the weekend of the MotoGP Valencian Community Grand Prix, as is usually done for riders who change their jerseys.
A presence which, however, on this front still allowed little to be added, given that the fateful press release has not yet arrived. Although the person concerned explained that it is only a matter of time: “I think there will be some news quite soon, so there are not many things I can say at the moment, but in the next few days you will find out”, said Marini.
In reality, the current representative of the Mooney VR46 was a little unbuttoned, talking about what he expects from the adventure that awaits him with the Repsol colours, while trying not to say anything too compromising.
“My dream has always been to join a factory team and help develop the bike, because manufacturers can win the championship. I think the time has come for me and this opportunity has opened up. After Marc’s decision, which is It was a shock for everyone, this door has opened and I will try to do my best. That’s all I can say for now.”
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Luca Marini, VR46 Racing Team
However, a dedication to his current team could not be missing, the one that allowed him to mature as a rider in Moto2, as well as conquer his first pole position and his first podiums in the premier class.
“It was a fantastic journey. I shared the best moments of my career with the team and I would like to thank all the group we have now, but also the members of the group from the past, who were with me in Moto2. I enjoyed every single moment and I will also want to enjoy this last weekend in Valencia.”
Before closing this chapter, in fact, we still have to face the Valencia weekend together, for which he seems to have important hopes. And it couldn’t be otherwise, given that he is coming off a pole position and a double podium in the Qatar Grand Prix.
“It won’t be easy to overtake, so it will be important to qualify well. The asphalt is new and this could change the game a bit, as could the lower than usual temperature. These are factors that could create some challenges in terms of tire management But I remember that last year I was the fastest in the end-of-season tests and I had an excellent feeling, so I think we’re starting from an excellent base.”
Finally, like most of his colleagues, he was invited to take stock of this first year of Sprint, inevitably also talking about the topic of injuries: “I have had two injuries and it is difficult to do so many races and never have time to recover between and the other. With another race on Saturday it’s even more difficult, because you have to push your body even more at 100% for two days in a row. But that’s the way things are and probably will be the same in the future, so we must try to adapt, hoping that there may be opportunities to make our lives easier and make everything a little safer”, he concluded.
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