Luca Marini was one of those who didn't believe that Marc Marquez would leave Honda a year before his contract expired, giving up a multi-million dollar salary. For this reason, on the day the separation was formally announced, creating the need for the Japanese company to hire a driver, the Italian saw it as a unique opportunity to arrive in an official garage in his fourth season in MotoGP, after having passed three with the VR46, brother Valentino Rossi's team. Every elite pilot's dream.
Marini proved to be very courageous, as he chose to leave the comfort of being the boss's brother, to enter a completely unknown world with a culture, the Japanese one, and a way of working that he is not used to.
“Honestly, the first person I called was my brother. First of all because he is the head of the team, the owner. But also because he is a person of great intelligence and with a lot of experience. I explained to him what I had inside, what I thought , which could be an opportunity for my career, for my life, and together, with the Academy, with my manager and with Honda, we started talking and all this was born from those conversations”, he explained the Italian driver in an exclusive interview for the podcast “Por Orejas” by MotorsportNetwork.
“I think I'm the right rider for Honda at the moment and I also think that, for me, Honda is the ideal team, because it's a dream, it's like going to play for Real Madrid or Barcelona – it's spectacular,” he exclaims.
“Certainly at this moment Honda's technical package is not the best, but with the experience I have in MotoGP with Ducati and with everything I can give Honda with my feedback, in a short time we will fight to get on top again. podium”, adds the Italian.
One of the points in favor of both Honda and Marini in this long recovery journey is represented by the concessions that the Japanese company will enjoy.
“I think that at the moment we can only improve. We have to be patient and give ourselves time, we must not rush. MotoGP is a really complicated sport, with a lot of competition: it's not just Ducati, there's also KTM, Aprilia, Yamaha, who push a lot to improve their bikes. It won't be easy, but we have to work better than our rivals, it won't be easy, but I believe we have the potential and the right people to do it.”
Photo by: Dorna
Luca Marini, Repsol Honda Team
Honestly, Marini admits that he didn't have to “sell himself” too much to be chosen by Honda. “Honestly, I didn't have to convince anyone, at that moment (the decision was made at the Malaysian GP, 10-12 November) there weren't many riders on the list to get on the Honda. There were a few, but they did a analysis of each season, of what each driver was doing, in qualifying, in the races, this and that, and in the end they saw that among those available I could be the right one. Then, speaking with the Japanese, with Alberto (Puig ) and with the others, I had to let things flow, so that they knew me, that they knew the driver I am, but also the person they were hiring. It was a normal process.”
It is no secret that, initially, Alberto Puig, Honda's team manager, chose to sign a rider without a contract for just one year, thus reducing the options for Fabio Di Giannantonio. Subsequently, Honda decided to focus on Marini for two seasons, a situation which, however, did not prevent Luca and Alberto from seeing a great understanding between them at the Valencia test.
“Well, that's what you say,” Marini said in reference to what Puig wanted. “It was like this the day before the test, speaking with the team, with Alberto, with the Japanese, it went very well, with an excellent feeling. They are people with a lot of experience in MotoGP, they know perfectly what the objective is, and I know too. From the first moment we were all aligned in the same direction, and this is what I like most, that we all have the same dream of fighting to get back to the front as soon as possible.”
After an entire career with an Italian and very familiar team, Marini will have his first experience of working with the Japanese, a change that has not always been easy for all drivers, as Valentino, who has worked for many years with Honda and Yamaha.
“Working with a Japanese manufacturer is very different, in communication, in the way of thinking. The culture is very different and we need to get closer. I try to understand their point of view as much as possible and they try to take a step towards 'Europe. At Honda there are very good people who are Italian and Spanish, we must work together in the same direction and try to communicate well, because this will be fundamental,' he says. “It wasn't just Valentino who gave me advice on working with the Japanese, but also many other people.”
Returning to his first and, for the moment, only day of work with the RC213V, Marini explains that he concentrated on the latest version, having immediately discarded the previous one.
“I started the test with the new package, they made me try the old aerodynamics, but in very few laps, just two outings, we went back to the new material, which is much better. It's a step forward with the new package, it probably won't be enough, but it's a step in the right direction.”
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Luca Marini, Repsol Honda Team
However, the Italian does not want to throw caution to the wind and prefers to be cautious. “To be honest, I was quite realistic about what I would find with the bike on the track. I don't think the time we made was very good, if you look at the gap to the leader, which was quite large. When you're at more Four tenths from the first is not good, because you are outside the top 10 on every track. We need to reduce the gap to at least two tenths. It won't be easy, but the direction to follow and the changes to make to the bike are quite clear.”
In addition to a calendar with 22 Grands Prix and 44 races, Honda has scheduled around twenty private tests during the season in which Marini could be present. A true test of strength.
“Physically I'm very calm, I don't struggle to ride the bike, I'm ready and I feel good. It won't be a problem, the more days on the bike the better. Any training at home will never be like riding the MotoGP, so the thing The best I can do is train on the bike.”
Marini was the fastest Honda rider in the Valencia tests, in his first contact with the bike. A detail that did not go unnoticed by the Japanese team, and a wake-up call for Joan Mir, his new teammate.
“It doesn't matter much to be the fastest in the tests, the important thing is to be the fastest in every race and at the end of the season, but it was a good sign. My relationship with Joan will be very good, we are two very similar guys, very introverted, who work calmly: I'm sure we'll get along very well”, he adds, trying to work as a team.
The first surprise, and not a positive one, for Marini at Honda was to discover, two days before getting on the bike, that he would not work with the technical team of Santi Hernandez and Marc Marquez, and that he would work with the team with which Joan Mir worked in 2023, with Giacomo Guidotti as technical manager.
“I get on very well with Giacomo, he is Italian and it will be very easy to talk and understand each other. When we have to fine-tune the adjustment at the last moment to perfect and gain that extra half-tenth of a second, we will certainly understand each other very well. Honda has decided to change team, I don't really know why. The only thing I know is that I have to work as much as possible and have a good relationship with them because, in the end, they are my second family and we have to spend many days together during the year , and it will certainly be a great experience”, concluded the driver from Urbino.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Luca Marini, Repsol Honda Team
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