Luca Marini is gearing up for what could be a key year for the Italian with his contract at the factory Honda MotoGP team coming to an end, but another tough season could be on the cards.
The 27-year-old lives outside the rules that most riders sign up for. Honda It’s out of sync with the MotoGP rider market. Most teams tend to sign two-year deals soon, so they’re locked in until 2026. But Marini is one of five riders whose contracts expire in 2025.
Honda offered him a two-year contract to secure his arrival from the VR46 Racing team from the 2024 season after Marc Marquez broke his contract to join Grecini – leaving him to join Ducati in 2025. A year to forget.
Luca Marini doubts that Honda can catch Ducati despite the development of the MotoGP team
Marini joins Honda on the back of his best in three seasons. MotoGP For the VR46, he took two podium finishes and 201 points over 18 rounds on the Ducati Desmosedici GP22. However, in 19 laps on the factory Honda RC213V in 2024, Marini could only score 14 points.
Urbino-born teammate Joan Mir has just 21 points in 2024 with seven top-15 Grands Prix and one top-nine Sprint race, compared to Marini’s six and zero. which he recorded. Even Honda finished 2024 last in the teams standings, with 86 points behind satellite team LCR.
Read more: Each MotoGP team confirmed 2025 rider line-up and contract details
Honda made some progress with their tricky RC213V bike at the 2024 Misano trials in September. But while Marini is happy that Honda have narrowed the gap on their rival MotoGP teams, he doubts whether they can catch Ducati under the current regulations.
“(I’m happy with the progress),” Marini said. Full circuit. “In some races we started with a deficit of 1.8 seconds per lap. Now we are down to one second per lap.
“It’s a long way to go. It may not be to reach the level of Ducati but the goal is to beat all the manufacturers at the moment and then we will try to think about beating Ducati.
Honda in 2010 They are exempt from the MotoGP engine freeze that comes into effect in 2025.
Ducati bikes continue to dominate MotoGP in 2024, with the factory crew taking the teams’ title by 884 points ahead of satellite outfit Pramac, with Jorge Martin winning the riders’ championship. Even Yamaha had their own problems, but Honda led by 144 points.
So Marini is in no doubt about the ‘long way’ Honda face to shine again after long dominating MotoGP with Marquez. Honda in 2010 After lifting the riders’, team’s and manufacturers’ titles in 2019, they are now ninth in the team standings in 2021.
So Honda plus Yamaha are exempt from the FIM MotoGP engine exemption for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Before new regulations are agreed upon by them in 2027. However, rivals Ducati, KTM and Aprilia are yet to announce a sample engine at the Thai Grand Prix.
Being able to continue developing their engine through the 2025 season could help Honda get more upgrades. But it could put them at a disadvantage to rivals who are putting more resources into engine changes and aerodynamic restrictions on the horizon.
MotoGP will also reduce the current 1,000cc engine formula to 850cc in 2027, meaning Honda will have to develop two engines at once if it is to offer the Marini and Mir bikes – plus the satellite LCR. Drivers Yohan Zarco and Somkyat Chantra – can keep safe. Stronger results.
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