Luca Marini Reflects on Challenging Repsol Honda Debut and Anticipates Future Improvements

Luca Marini is focused on a single aspect: "I recognize the decision I took…"

Luca Marini sheds light on his challenging beginning with Repsol Honda

Luca Marini secured his inaugural point in the MotoGP championship during its ninth race, following a tyre pressure infringement by another competitor.

He occupies the 23rd position in the rankings, the lowest among all riders competing full-time.

Dani Pedrosa, who participated in a single race at Jerez, finishing just the sprint, currently holds a six-point lead over Marini.

His inaugural season at Repsol Honda hasn't unfolded in the way he might have envisioned.

"Seeing my position drop in the rankings compared to the previous year is challenging," he shared with Sky Italia.

"I understand the decision I've made and the journey it will require to reach the peak again. I'm not sure about the timeframe, though."

"We're making alterations at a personnel level as well, involving Italian and European engineers who might have a background in Formula 1."

"I aspire that by the year's end, we'll have narrowed the gap with the frontrunners, succeeded in advancing to Q2, and then we can evaluate our prospects for the next year."

'Marini's performance dips from previous showing in Valencia'

In the latest race held in Germany, Marini secured his highest finish of the season, placing 15th on Sunday.

Last year, riding a Ducati that was a year old within the VR46 team, he secured podium finishes on two Sundays.

His inaugural season as an official team rider has been a significant agreement.

"Marini expressed optimism, noting that although they haven't reached their desired goal, he has observed significant effort and progress from all the engineers involved in the project."

As the year commenced, our expectations were set high, believing our current model surpassed previous iterations. Yet, the reality was a stark contrast, revealing this year's motorcycle fell short of the advancements made in the prior year's model, a realization that dawned upon us during the initial Valencia test.

"However, transformation is underway, and the chosen direction is correct, though it may require a bit of patience."

"We aim to kick off again at Silverstone in top shape, especially since our last outing was the most successful."

Honda, along with Yamaha, has seen the most significant advantages this year due to changes in the concessions regulations.

However, those advancements in development have not yet led to improved outcomes in actual performance.

Marini is wary that the advantages may not materialize until after next year.

"He mentioned that it's premature for both Honda and Yamaha."

"Manufacturers have made significant advancements year over year, moving beyond the period when Honda and Yamaha dominated the market and stuck to their winning formulas without deviation."

"Now, every year, everyone introduces something novel, and we must surpass them."

Marini can at least anticipate another local race in the future.

The Emilia Romagna MotoGP, taking place at Misano, has now officially taken over the slot previously held by the Kazakhstan MotoGP.

This indicates that Misano is set to hold back-to-back races, along with a testing session, in September.

"I'm thrilled for the entire Emilia Romagna region. Having two weekends at home is amazing and will attract even more visitors," he expressed.

Marini is no longer participating alongside Valentino Rossi, his brother and the head of VR46, who was previously deeply engaged in his professional journey.

"He expressed, "The extent of Valentino's assistance? It's beyond measure."

During the initial stages, like with everyone else, he consistently provided the perfect advice, guiding me and my peers in uncovering the intricacies of each circuit, or maybe the crucial aspects of the tyres.

"Now that Vale is involved in his own championships, he participates in numerous races, making it challenging for us to spend time together at home. We communicate through messages and make an effort to support one another, but it's tough to do so from a distance."

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