Luca Marini's transition to Honda proved to be a tough one from the start, a reality he had to face head-on. His debut with the team was less than spectacular, placing last in the Sprint race and trailing the pack at the Qatar Grand Prix, 42 seconds behind the leaders. His Honda colleagues, Johann Zarco and Joan Mir, managed to grab a few points, finishing twelfth and thirteenth respectively.
Luca marini recognized a “ small technical problem » which complicated his task, while admitting that in the absence of this problem, he would not have been able to fight for more advantageous positions. This “little problem” would be linked to the electronic cartography, a problem that occurred after the departure procedure was delayed due to problems with the Raul Fernandez. The disappointment of Marini was palpable, a feeling that had already taken hold during the winter tests at Losail.
As the season approaches, the optimism of Luca Marini had turned into concerns. Honda was certainly turning a corner, but there was still a long way to go before the RC213V became a threat to its competitors. “ During the tests in Qatar, Luca understood the seriousness of the situation,” confides an anonymous source from Honda à Motorsport.com Spain. " Some pilots take longer to realize that changing dynamics at Honda is more complicated than it seems. But Luca, thanks to his intelligence, understood it in a few months."
HRC laid its cards on the table when recruiting him, asking if he was ready to take on the challenge, knowing the road would be strewn with pitfalls. Marini expressed his enthusiasm for this challenge. “ He also knows that we are doing everything we can to improve the situation as quickly as possible, » assures the source.
At Honda we test and evaluate different rim manufacturers
The effort of Honda is visible, with an increased presence in the Losail paddock. The teams of Marini et Mir received support from the test team, coming directly from Jerez where Stefan Bradl had carried out private tests just before the start of the season. The fruits of these tests should be available for the next Grand Prix in Portugal.
An intriguing detail was observed in Qatar: zarco tested a new rear rim Marchesini during testing, but had to abandon it due to vibrations. This rim, already used by other teams, has a special coating for better heat management. Honda work with OZ to develop a similar rim, but has not yet found the solution. For contractual reasons, Marini et Mir were unable to use this Marchesini rim in racing.
In response to this difficult start to the season, Marini traveled to Jerez for private testing, joined by the testing team and Bradl. Under the new concession rules, Honda et Yamaha can now test with their regular drivers on any circuit, with the only constraint being a quota of 260 tires Michelin for the year.
