With the end of the season just around the corner, and the final whistle blowing this weekend after the Valencia Grand Prix, it's time to take stock and prepare for next year. This is the case for Luca Marini, Valentino Rossi's half-brother, who is learning from a year that has been a bumpy ride.
The 22-year-old rider has now been competing in the Moto2 category for four years. The 2019 season will not be remembered as a shining moment for the rider who was expected to be a prodigy in the paddock, like his older brother. Valentino Rossi.
He was already seen as a world champion, but it wasn't to be. He currently sits in 6th place in the standings and has only one victory to his name, the one he secured in Thailand on October 6th. And therein lies the problem, even if consistency is key with frequent top-10 finishes. The dragon only truly awakened in the second half of the season. It took six races for him to finally reach the podium with that impressive second place in Italy at Mugello, and nine more for his victory in Thailand. Still not enough to challenge a Alex Marquez and to be able to claim a world crown...
He himself acknowledges it: This season has been complicated, with good and bad things. The start of the season was difficult because I was still suffering from my surgery last winter. Regarding the bike, I also had to adapt to many changes. I'm disappointed not to have won the title, but there's always next time. The key to Alex Marquez's success lies in his consistency throughout the season, which isn't the case for me, that's true. He did a good job with his team and it paid off. We, for our part, will strive to do the same so that, in turn, just as Bagnaia did in 2018 with Team Sky VR46, we can clinch the title.
We know that the Moto2 category is the stepping stone to the MotoGP category, and when asked about it with a view to 2021, the young man replies: Let's see what happens in 2020 first; I don't want to get ahead of myself. I need to stay focused and do my best in each race. We'll see how things go in due time. »
He pursues : " jI'm not in a hurry to go to MotoGP. As for the fact that we'll end up together, side by side, on the track with Valentino, that's another story. It's true that it's a dream I'd love to see come true. First, he'd have to stay in MotoGP, and I'd have to make it there, because I feel really good in Moto2. I still have everything to prove, unlike… OK" He might decide to stop in order to come back stronger later, it's possible. It's a decision that belongs to him; other great champions have done it in other sports, I'm thinking, among others, of Michael Schumacher in Formula 1. Whatever he decides, he will always have a place waiting for him in MotoGP.
One thing is certain: the two brothers will drive in tandem during the Abu Dhabi 12 Hours car race, which will take place on Saturday, December 14th. I kill will also be involved. We're going to have a lot of fun, a great way to end the season alongside OK and D'I killWe're going to give it our all! concludes the former student of the VR46 academy.
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