Luca Marini and Honda have just completed a complicated season to say the least. Switched from Ducati to Honda at the start of the 2024 season, to try to meet the challenge of turning the Japanese manufacturer around within its factory team, the Italian's adaptation was chaotic.
The former VR46 driver posted a scoreless score until the German Grand Prix, and finally finished the season with fourteen points on the clock. Two more than Pol Espargaró, who only took part in three races as a Wildcard for KTM.
Marini, however, made steady progress towards the end of the season. Enough to motivate him for the rest of the adventure with Honda. Before the first runs of the year 2025, the Transalpine wants to be optimistic about the idea of carrying out a much more interesting campaign than this year. He also sets a target for his engineers for the Sepang pre-season testing, which will take place next February.
“Obviously, it's not enough yet, but the bike is working well, the riders are improving, and we are in a very good performance line, entrusts Luca Marini to Barcelona. We must continue to work like this, and gain half a second between now and Sepang. »
As is often the case, and even more so in these difficult times, the comparison with Yamaha is inevitable. On this point Luca Marini has no ideas: the Iwata factory still leads the duel between Japanese manufacturers.
“We have always been behind, he continues. They started much higher than us. We won a lot, we reduced the gap, but not enough to be at their level, because I think they also developed their bike during the season. They work a lot during the season, and their bike improves, like ours. »
Quartararo, Yamaha's asset
Especially since Yamaha has a big player in the person of Fabio Quartararo. The 2021 World Champion obviously knows his machine better than anyone, having ridden it since the start of the 2019 season. Next year, Joan Mir will be Honda's longest-serving representative. The Spaniard joined the project in 2023.
“I think we improved more than Yamaha, but they started better than us, Marini adds again. Especially with Quartararo who knows Yamaha very well, and who manages to push the bike to its limit. Obviously, it suits his riding style perfectly, and he has complete knowledge of the bike. This is also why its performances are often better than ours. As a driver, I would say that next year, I will be much better on the Honda. »
Despite everything, Luca Marini remains confident. The change in approach he has noticed during the season makes him say that Honda is getting closer to its objective of returning to the fight with the European factories.
“I think during the season they improved a lot. Since the day I joined this factory, I have seen a lot of things change. Next year there will be even more changes. We will see how the new engineers will work. Obviously, everyone wants to bring Honda back to the top” concludes Valentino Rossi’s brother.
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