Honda factory rider Luca Marini finished the 2024 MotoGP season in a lowly 22nd place with just 14 points on the clock, his best result being a 10th place sprint finish at Phillip Island. Despite these disappointing results, Marini remains firmly convinced of his decision to join Honda, a project he sees as a long-term opportunity to fight at the top again.
Mariniwho left the team
VR46-Ducati in winter 2023 to join
Hondahas always seen this first season as a year of transition. “ Whether I get two points, zero points or ten points in a race, that's not what matters at the moment “, he declares on the official MotoGP podcast.
Comparing his 2024 season with his previous year at
VR46he adds: “ last year I finished eighth in the World Championship, but I wasn't happy. This year I'm fighting for 20th place, but maybe I'm even happier. »
For him, the main thing is to be integrated into a promising project. “ I am part of a project that could become very important.
My goal is to fight for the world title in the next few years. »
The project Honda for 2025 is based on significant investments, both in personnel and in the technical structure. Albesian Romanformer technical director ofApriliajoins the team, and Marini will now work with
Christian Pupulinformer team leader of
Jack Miller.
Luca Marini: « I have a clear vision of what my future at Honda will look like »
On the pilot side, Aleix Espargaró joins the team after his long stint with Apriliawhile Takaaki Nakagami also becomes development pilot, alongside Stefan Bradl.
Marini is realistic about the progress of
Honda : « the results will come if I take the right steps and the project continues to improve. I have felt changes since the start of the 2024 season, but the improvements must continue over the years. Ducati has set the bar very high. If you want to beat them you have to be perfect. »
Although the Italian does not expect any major transformation from the first half of 2025, he firmly believes in the potential of
Honda to become competitive again in the future. “ The MotoGP scene is constantly evolving. I have a clear vision of what my future will look like here. What we need is more time and patience. Together we can achieve great things. »
With a contract until the end of 2025, Marini
is part of a medium-term vision for
Hondahoping that his personal investment and that of the team will bear fruit in the seasons to come.
