Marini is very realistic and frank about Bagnaia's defeat

Pecco Bagnaia has made it clear enough how much he harbors regrets for letting the title slip away as he has an impressive tally of 11 wins this season. He can also count on his close friends to tell him frankly that this defeat must indeed be fully accepted, in order to better learn the lessons from it.

Among them, Luca Marini had very direct words towards his training companion. “I think whoever wins the championship is always the right one,” estimated the Italian driver at the moment when this season delivered its verdict in favor of Jorge Martín. “In the end, I think last year Martín made a big mistake in Indonesia and he may have lost the title then, while Pecco made a lot of mistakes this year and lost the championship through his fault.”

“Pecco had an incredible season but it's his fault he lost the championship. It's not that Martín was incredible this year, I think Pecco was but he made mistakes sometimes. […] It can happen. If I have to think about the year I finished second in Moto2, I also lost a lot of points in many situations. It's part of the race and in the end, whoever wins the title is always the best.”

Pecco had an incredible season but it's his fault he lost the championship.

“I think that last year Martín could already win it but he lost it and this time I would say it was Pecco who lost it,” regrets the Honda pilot. “It doesn't take anything away from the superb season he had, obviously, but everyone will remember that Martín won the championship and not that Pecco won 11 races.

“It's a shame for Pecco, because he's won a lot of races. But just think about the sprint race [de Barcelone]in May, where he was first and had the margin, but where he fell in the last lap. Those points would have been enough to win the championship. If he starts thinking about all the points he lost along the way… He better not turn his head too much and think about next year because he will have the biggest opportunity of his career to assert himself against one of the greatest in history if he manages to beat Marc, which I wish him.”

The challenge of a lifetime: beating Márquez on an equal bike

Luca Marini believes that his colleague from the VR46 Riders Academy should already focus on the major challenge that awaits him in 2025 to motivate himself. Perhaps to tickle him, he judges that Marc Márquez has before him a royal road to reconnect with the title and that it is therefore up to Pecco Bagnaia to deploy all his talent to try to overcome the one who will now be on the same bike as him.

“I think there's quite a bit of interest in making Márquez win again, so I think next year's victory is already written. But it's certain that Pecco will get the opportunity of his life to assert himself among the four greatest in History If he ever manages to beat Márquez next year and win the title, everyone will finally recognize him for the champion that he is because for. the moment, even if it won two titles in a row in MotoGP, he didn't get enough credit and recognition, I think.”

This reflection according to which Márquez's title would in some way already be decided caused a lot of reaction when Luca Marini delivered it, on the sidelines of the last Grand Prix, but he explained it: “Decided is perhaps not the perfect word to say it, but it is certain that Marc's return to victory is a good opportunity, for many reasons: to make more money, for the show, etc. But on the other hand, I think Pecco has the best opportunity of his life, of his career, to win the title against Marc Márquez next year and demonstrate to the world that he is one of the five best drivers in the world. MotoGP We'll see, I think it will be. a great show.”

With Vincent Lalanne-Sicaud