After a timid first season with only 14 points on the board and zero top 10 finishes, Luca Marini is moving up a gear in 2025. The Italian, who joined the Honda factory team last year, leaving a Ducati in the colors of his illustrious half-brother Valentino Rossi's team, is savoring the progress made during the winter. Result? He already has 26 points after four Grands Prix, almost double last year's tally! Compared to 2024, it is a small revolution in all areas " he says, all smiles.
After a difficult first season at Honda, Luca Marini seems to be finally finding his feet within the factory team. In 2024, he had only collected 14 points without ever securing a top 10 finish. But at the start of the 2025 season, the situation has changed: Marini has already scored 26 points in just four Grands Prix, almost doubling his total from last year and establishing himself more regularly in the top half of the table.
« Compared to last year, it's simply a small improvement in all areas " he explains lucidly. " There are more people, more engineers, and everything is better controlled. The pressure is less for everyone »
This improvement, Marini also owes it to a reorganization of its technical team, with the arrival of Christian Pupulin as team leader – former engineer of Jack Miller in KTMA transition that bore fruit after a period of adaptation.
« Since the race in Argentina, we have found a very good basis on the motorcycle, a compromise that I appreciate a lot. Christian brings knowledge, a very good feeling, and he is also a great person " welcomes Marini.
Luca Marini: “ the atmosphere is great, it's growing day after day »
In Austin, Marini achieved his best performance of the season with an 8th place in the race and the sprint, proof that the RC213V has gained in stability and potential, and that the Italian is starting to fully exploit it. He emphasizes on motorsport total the positive atmosphere that reigns in the box Honda : " my whole team is really amazing this year, and It's a lot of fun working with themThe atmosphere is great, it's growing day by day. »
Si Honda has indeed made technical progress during the winter, the in-depth work on the human environment seems to be bearing fruit, notably thanks to profiles like that of Marini, renowned for his analytical rigor and technical communication.
But the future remains unclear. His contract expires at the end of 2025, and in an already hot driver market, there is no guarantee that Marini continue at home Honda. However, his profile is appealing: reliable, involved, intelligent, he embodies the transitional pilot capable of helping a project get back on its feet. In the meantime, Marini progresses at its own pace, patiently building a path to consistency without any hiccups. And in a context as competitive as the 2025 MotoGP, that could well make a difference.
