De Diana Tamantini / Corsedimoto.com
Luca Marini ends his last season in Moto2 as vice-champion. Happy with his year 2020, but with some reservations. And a great desire to try MotoGP… The interview.
One of the great protagonists of the 2 Moto2020 season is undoubtedly Luca Marini. A year in which he stood out with three victories, three second places and two pole positions which earned him second place in the world championship standings. There were also some “blunders”, starting with the crash at Le Mans, as well as other small problems which sometimes affected his performances. There is a little regret due to a few mistakes during the year, but the results of the current vice-champion of the category are still more than positive. Next year he can't wait to embark on his dream challenge, MotoGP, riding a Ducati. With the hope that the current situation will improve… Here is what he told us.
How are you physically?
“Right now, I'm doing well. I continued physiotherapy and rehabilitation on my left ankle. I'm not able to run, but given the winter preparation, I have to try to reach 100%. I'm not 100% yet, in fact I still have some pain in my ankle, especially on these cold days, so I'm working on it with the physiotherapist. There is no fracture, but there is talk of ligament problems. I don't think it will bother me on the bike afterwards, but given the preparation I have to try to recover as best as I can. »
Did that affect you a bit in the second half of the season or were there other problems?
“Not so much, I think. Yes, on the bike it bothered me a little, but when I was racing I didn't even think about it. But after the accident at Le Mans, I damaged the chassis. We didn't notice it, the instrument used to measure it said everything was fine, but in the race in France and in the two events in Aragón I always reported the same problems, I couldn't m 'improve. I first pushed to change something to find a solution: when we changed the chassis, everything returned to normal. Kalex then analyzed it and we saw the damage. It's a small thing, but even if it's off by a few degrees, it has a big impact on performance. In Moto2, we talk about thousandths of a second... It's a shame, it's our mistake and we paid for it. »
Only half, in the sense that you still carried out the checks...
“Let's say we could have avoided taking risks and replaced everything after the accident. Although it didn't seem like the bike took that much of a hit. Ultimately, it's easy to say that after the fact, but at the time, no one thought about it and that's what happened. I just think we should have analyzed all the problems properly and realized them earlier, but there is no going back. Regardless, I'm very happy with my season and my progress over the year, and I've had a lot of fun. »
On a personal level, in which areas do you think you have progressed?
“Every year I feel better as a driver. I don't think there is anything in particular, I would rather say that there has been a general progression. I got along very well with my team, I was able to adapt my driving style to all the conditions I found this year. There were some difficulties, but when I was good, I got very good results and I'm happy with that. I also improved qualifying, which was one of my weak points until the first races of this year. Yes, I changed my approach for the timed lap. But I would say that this is also the case for race management. »
Is there anything you could have done better?
“I don’t think I could have done better. Maybe I should have worked harder with the team to convince some people that we really could win. We must all be together, united. When you look at Bastianini's season and see what he and his team did best, you realize that they were all more focused on this goal. Sometimes we didn't do what was best. It's not that it's my fault or anyone else's, it's that, together, we should have worked better. I'm not looking for excuses, I'm taking responsibility. First of all, I made a mistake with this accident at Le Mans, in mixed conditions. It's just an analysis of the season, because we had all the right cards to win the world championship. »
Did you immediately expect to fight for the title?
“Absolutely, in fact I was well aware of it: from the start I was one of the favorites. It was justified to believe in it from the start, even before testing, because I had good experience in Moto2. I had now figured out how to ride the Triumph engine, adapting my style to the different tires. I felt ready, I felt confident that I was in this situation, and actually we were able to make a good start. Unfortunately, we got a little lost afterwards, but too bad. I also want to thank our coach Roberto Locatelli for this, he always encouraged me a lot and believed in it more than anyone. »
In any case, you end your last Moto2 season as vice-champion…
« Si je n’ai pas pu gagner, je n’en étais pas loin, même si le
deuxième est en fait le premier des perdants… Je suis conscient de
cela, mais j’essaie d’en tirer la force et l’énergie pour faire une
bonne saison l’année prochaine et les années suivantes.”
In 2021, you make your debut in MotoGP…
« C’est magnifique, un rêve devenu réalité ! Mais certainement
un point de départ. C’est ce à quoi on pense quand on est enfant :
on regarde la télévision et on se dit : “Un jour, j’aimerais être
là aussi”. Être vraiment là est incroyable. Je dois m’y habituer
car je n’ai pas encore essayé la moto, donc je n’ai pas encore
expérimenté l’environnement de cette catégorie. J’attends avec
impatience les premiers tests et je suis très excité, mais pas
pressé. Je sais qu’il y a beaucoup de choses à apprendre, comme les
pneus, l’électronique… Et tout le monde dit que Ducati n’est pas
une moto facile, donc je sais que ce ne sera pas facile. Mais
j’aime vraiment les nouveautés, et celle-ci est la plus grande qui
puisse exister dans ce monde. »
Have you ever received any advice?
" Yes and no. I spoke to Pecco [Bagnaia] all year, asking him for information before I even knew I was going to compete in MotoGP. Let's say, long before this was even mentioned as a hypothesis. It's because I'm curious and passionate about MotoGP: I used to go see the bikes racing, analyze all the leaves... I like it, that's all. Then I also spoke to Vale [Rossi]. JI'll start talking about it pread precisely later, but for now I'm trying to take a break and recharge for the next season. Of course, I will exchange some ideas with Franco [Morbidelli], Vale and Pecco, who have experience in the category. Pecco also has experience with the Ducati, so I'm sure he can tell me more. »
The other two rookies, Bastianini and Martín, will also have different Ducatis. What will the battle between the newbies look like?
“She will certainly be very beautiful. I'm glad they also have Ducatis, so we can see how everyone is doing. Yes, Martín will have the last Ducati, Enea and I will have the GP19, the same as Zarco this year. I don't know what changes on a technical level, but I hope it's not much, so that we can play on equal terms. However, the objective is not to fight only among ourselves, we must also target others. We are in the premier category, with the best drivers in the world. For the moment, I don't have any particular objective, I first want to test the bike and gain some sensations, while of course always giving 100%. We will then see where we end up. »
Do you think the organization will change anything compared to this year?
“Of course they will try to do something similar, but I think with fewer restrictions, for example for the public, at least I hope so. As for us drivers, we had a very strange year, but everything was done in the best possible way. I don't think we'll see double races on the same circuit again, I hope so, because it's not a formula I've been crazy about. However, I am sure that Dorna and IRTA will do their best for all of us and also for the fans. Without them in the stands, everything is a little colder, you lose that warmth that sport gives you. On more than one occasion, I was sorry to finish the race and see no one around. »
Unlike others, you said you didn't like the double race formula. How is it possible ?
« Je pense que cela fausse un peu le championnat. Il y a des
circuits où certaines motos et certains coureurs sont à l’aise,
tandis que d’autres ont du mal. Je pense que cela a beaucoup
d’incidence. D’un point de vue personnel, ce n’est pas une solution
qui me plaît, je n’y vois rien de positif, si ce n’est le fait que
nous avons plus de courses. Il faut dire que dans un championnat
comme celui-ci, il était difficile de trouver une alternative et je
suis heureux que nous ayons réussi à avoir autant de courses.
L’organisation a fait un excellent travail. Mais deux courses sur
le même circuit, ce n’est pas très intéressant, selon moi. Il est
vrai qu’avec ce format, les écarts sont plus petits, donc on peut
voir des courses plus disputées, mais c’est juste mon sentiment.
Avec une seule course, tout est plus “normal”. »
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