Inside the Garage: Luca Marini’s Optimism and Honda’s Upward Trajectory in MotoGP

Luca Marini: Honda's MotoGP squad is "achieving impressive results" and has a "promising trajectory"

"Experiencing it internally offers a unique perspective"

Luca Marini thinks Honda is making significant progress with the development of its MotoGP motorcycle at the moment and believes the approach they are taking is quite promising.

The 2024 season has proven challenging for Honda, as the Japanese brand has accumulated only 56 points in the manufacturers' rankings ahead of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix.

Among its group of four riders, the RC213V motorcycle managed to secure a top 10 finish only once on a Sunday, thanks to Johann Zarco who came in ninth at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

Marini, who transitioned from the VR46 Ducati team to take the place of Marc Marquez, who is moving to Gresini in 2024, is currently at the bottom of the Honda competitors, ranking 23rd with only seven points. His top performance so far was a 12th-place finish at the San Marino event.

Recent improvements made to the bike at Misano have provided Honda with an advantage, allowing Zarco to reach Q2 in two of the past three races.

Although the outcome documents might not look impressive, Marini expresses that his personal sentiments are much more optimistic.

"In the official MotoGP podcast, Marini expressed that experiencing it firsthand feels unique."

"By the end of Sunday night, people often check the outcomes, and it's common to find yourself trailing behind in a less favorable position."

"However, experiencing it firsthand has shown me a different perspective, and I've noticed significant progress since the season started."

Every engineer is performing exceptionally well. I am receiving significant support from them, and together, we are achieving remarkable milestones and reaching an impressive standard.

"The progress is promising, yet we require more time as we are participating in the world's toughest motorcycle category, facing off against outstanding manufacturers."

"Honda is determined to return to winning ways."

Transitioning from a satellite team rider to a factory team member in 2024 has introduced numerous challenges for Marini. One of the primary difficulties he faces is effectively communicating with Honda's engineers from Japan.

He observes that, primarily, there is a slight difference in how Europeans and Japanese communicate.

"When speaking Japanese, it's important to choose your words carefully and communicate at a slower pace."

"Occasionally, I talk at a fast pace, which might cause others to miss some of the

"At the beginning of the season, I realized that for my personal development, it was crucial to learn how to effectively communicate with the team. Those with more experience than I had emphasized that mastering this skill quickly was essential."

"At this moment, I'm enjoying the conversation with them and striving to articulate everything clearly, just as I experienced it while riding the bike."

"After practice, I often reflect on my emotions and share my thoughts on new developments and potential improvements for the future. I try to organize these ideas into a list of priorities."

"I noticed that this approach was quite effective and provided us with a solid path for the bike's development throughout the season."

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