Luca Marini appears to have been galvanized by his 2023 pre-season test in Valencia. He came out with the best time of the day with a state-of-the-art GP22 which will be his mount for the next campaign. And that gave him this idea: to be stronger than Jorge Martin. Indeed, if the latter wants to be the first rider in the history of MotoGP to win the world title within a private team, the half-brother of whom you know wants to add to the feat of achieving it with a machine of last year…
Si Enea Bastianini will be, for Jorge Martin, a target, the same “Bestia” will represent for Luca marini an example. The now former Gresini driver has in fact shown in 2022 with his performances and other four victories that meritocracy works at Ducati. On condition, however, of having the right Desmosedici determined through a wise strategy. On this level, it is the VR46 team which this time sticks to the Gresini approach, last season's version.
Thus, for its second season in MotoGP, the Mooney VR46 Racing Team will continue with two Ducati of the previous year, both for Luca marini et Marco Bezzecchi. A decision thus clarified and justified by the team director, Alessio salucci : “ for the 2023 MotoGP season we will have two GP22s and we decided not to have the factory bike, as happened with Marini this year ". He specifies : “It will be about continuing the work done this year, but also having two identical bikes in the box, so that the team can also work better and get the most out of everyone's data. When Pecco Bagnaia encountered some problems in GP22 at the start of the year, Ducati made improvements. His world champion motorcycle is therefore not the one used by Marini in 2022 ».
Luca Marini: “ I will have to beat the Ducati factory riders«
The same Marini is delighted with a clear objective explained as follows: “ I hope to be quick, do well to get development parts from Ducati like they did this year with Bastianini. Ducati will certainly bring many innovations during the season and, if good results are obtained, Gigi Dall'Igna always told me that he would give us great support. So with this package I will have to beat the Ducati factory riders. It won't be easy, but Enea has succeeded several times ».
The challenge is launched and it will be all the more difficult to take on as his teammate Marco Bezzecchi will not leave his share to the dogs. “ We have the world champion bike for Bezzecchi. The riders discovered the 2022 factory motorcycles, they are happy, they have progressed. Above all, the delivery of the engine is smoother, which was what Luca Marini lacked… We started off on the right foot, thinking about 2023, we are very happy » concludes an “Uccio” who is also happy to see his team strengthened. Two mechanics and an electronics analyst from Suzuki who worked alongside Joan mir have in fact taken up residence within the VR46.
