Well behind satellite Johann Zarco, Luca Marini made a timid entry in Thailand, but nevertheless better than what he had accustomed us to at the start of the season. The Honda official, always meticulous, knows that his employer is at a turning point in its history, and that the context could well become favorable again in a very short time. Honda is making significant progress, and Marini, for his part, is betting everything on next year with experiments on the last rounds of the season. An interesting approach.
It is almost useless to specify his position at the finish of the Practice, so insignificant is it. Luca Marini, 17th, and almost blames himself. « It's a shame I didn't go straight into Q2 because I did a lap close to Marquez's.. A combination of circumstances meant that I had to do my own lap, while the slipstream on this circuit allows you to gain three tenths. We have a lot of margin. However, getting through to Q2 on Friday is easier than on Saturday, I will need a perfect lap behind someone to qualify » he affirmed in the columns of GP One, which is a pretty good sign.
First Repsol Honda Team rider back in is @ Luca_Marini_97, running 🅿️1️⃣1️⃣ right now as he feeds back to his team and engineers. #ThaiGP 🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/eXnDlL2ZTK
- Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) October 25, 2024
Luca tests, again and again, relentlessly. « Here we try a different setting with more load on the rear tire. The change is not huge, we have to adopt the idea of this direction, that's the most important thing. While waiting for the new frame and swingarm from Japan, we have to give as much information as possible. Competitors are managing to give more traction, and when we solve this problem, good races will come. » he continued. Johann Zarco explained it well in Japan: this is the main problem with the RC213V.
Photo: Michelin Motorsport
The plan is as follows: use all the sessions until the end of the 2024 season to prepare as best as possible for this winter. « For the last races we keep the current package, just doing some experiments. I think it's a good time to do them, because the aerodynamics have improved a lot, there is good potential. » he concluded.
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Practice Result at 2024 Thailand Grand Prix:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
