Neil Morrison | November 14, 2023
There was shock in Sepang at the MotoGP, as it emerged that Luca Marini has struck an agreement to join Repsol Honda in 2024 to replace the outgoing Marc Marquez.
Luca Marini will take the seat at Repsol Honda once held by brother Valentino Rossi. Photo: Gold & Goose
After names like Aleix Espargaro, Miguel Oliveira, Maverick Vinales, Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco had been linked to the seat, Fabio Di Giannantonio was tipped to take the ride after posting impressive performances in Indonesia and Australia. But it’s believed Team Manager Alberto Puig wasn’t convinced.
The offer of a one-year deal hindered Honda’s ability to convince an experienced name to move. “As a rider, are you going to break a relationship with one manufacturer to go to another without more guarantees of the future?” said Oliveira in Malaysia. It’s believed Puig convinced bosses in Japan to extend that to a two-year offer.
Marini had long spoken of his desire to branch out from older brother Valentino Rossi’s team, which he has been a part of since 2018, and forge his own path. On Friday, he weighed up the pros and cons of breaking his contract with VR46 Ducati a year early.
“Yeah, you have the best bike, but going in a factory team, developing your own bike and talking with all the engineers and follow a direction—your direction—and everybody together is a completely different thing,” he said.
“I know now my package is fantastic and the team is working very well, and Ducati is a fantastic bike, performing well every time and in every situation…. but also, as a rider, I have dreams and goals to achieve and to ride and work for a factory team is incredible in my opinion. But it needs to be the correct project in the correct situation.”
Asked on Sunday if it was fair to assume he’d be riding in different colors next year, Marini replied, “Yeah. All the media are saying this. It’s a difficult situation. That’s it.” When it was put to him that Rossi had posted a photo from 2002 when he was in Repsol Honda leathers, his younger brother quipped, “Maybe he’s coming back to ride for Honda!”
The move is a stunning turn of events, not least because it could mean Rossi’s brother will take the place of sworn enemy Marc Marquez and could possibly end up working with the eight-time champion’s highly decorated team. It is also the seat Rossi occupied in 2002 and 2003.
“It looks like [Marini] will take my place,” said Marquez on Sunday. “And I’m happy for Luca. I’m moving to a competitive bike. He’s moving to a project that needs a lot of work. But sometimes, from the outside, it looks like one thing, but then inside, it’s another.”
“He’s a smooth rider, so normally, this is the type of rider who is quite sensitive,” said Joan Mir of his potential future teammate. “Not one that brakes like an animal, who doesn’t care about the bike. So, he probably understands some things.”
The VR46 Ducati team has been supportive of the move. Asked about the situation, Team Manager Pablo Nieto said, “Our aim has always been to train our riders to be ready for a factory team.” Presented with this situation in Malaysia, VR46 Team Director Uccio Salucci had a list of names to replace the Italian, which included Fermin Aldeguer, Alonso Lopez and Tony Arbolino. In the end, it appears most likely three-time Moto2 race winner Aldeguer will step up to fill Marini’s seat for 2024.
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