Marini: “I need a competitive package, but I’m in no rush to change”

Luca Marini says he’s very happy with the Mooney VR46 Ducati team ahead of the British MotoGP.

03 Aug 2023

The Italian, who currently sits sixth in the MotoGP standings, has been one of the most competitive riders in the series this season.

Although he hasn’t managed to equal the achievements of teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who has three wins to Marini’s zero in 2023, the third-year MotoGP rider has been very impressive at times.

Marini has usually been at his best when finding immediate pace on Friday, as Francesco Bagnaia is the only rider that can overturn a difficult start to a weekend, in his mind.

"I think that it’s really important to start well from Friday," said Marini in a sit down for Monster Energy. "A lot of times this year I didn’t feel so well from Friday and we had some crashes when trying to get the correct feeling with the bike.

"It’s difficult to make a good weekend if it starts badly. I think that only Pecco can do these types of things at the moment.

"He is in great shape and in a fantastic team and at the moment he can start in a bad way on Friday but still win on Sunday.

"It is not so easy to that right now. But like in Austin when I was feeling great from the first exit of FP1 and everything went well. I think we need to focus on starting the weekends well."

Like his teammate, Marini is under contract with Mooney VR46 until the end of this season, although that’s expected to change.

With Ducati possessing the best package on the grid, switching to a full factory machine, even from a satellite Ducati bike could end up being a mistake.

Marini admits he’s in no rush to chance his current situation and is enjoying life aboard Ducati machinery.

Marini said: "It depends a lot on the situation of the rider. In my case I think it is very important to win races and make podiums.

"I’m in great shape and I’m starting to rise. I think I need to have a competitive package to try and show all the speed I have. Then we will see.

"I think that now I have a strong bike and [the Ducati] is very easy to ride for everybody. Also, this team is growing a lot. It’s a beautiful moment right now. I’m in no rush to change."