Luca Marini’s crash-free run: “Be sensible, understand the bike”

Luca Marini headed into the summer break as the only full-time MotoGP rider yet to suffer a crash during a grand prix weekend in 2025.

While the HRC rider did miss three rounds due to injuries sustained in a Superbike testing accident at Suzuka, his clean record across the other nine grand prix events remains an impressive achievement - especially since RCV team-mates Johann Zarco and Joan Mir top the crash chart with 15 falls each.

So what’s Marini’s secret to staying upright?

“Try to be sensible, understand the bike and put temperature in the tyres always,” Marini explained of his approach. “Because many times we crash because the tyres are not in the working window.

“Most of the crashes are caused by this. As we saw also with Maverick [Vinales, at Sachsenring], when it’s wet it’s so easy - if you are not 100% focused - to crash in that moment on cold tyres.

“I think I'm quite good, until now, to understand this and try to put temperature always in the tyres.

“And then during the races, listen to the bike and to the feedback of the tyres. Push every time at the limit, but try not to go over the limit.

“Just go over the limit for qualifying. Because for one lap, with no fuel and new tyres, you can extract a lot of potential from the bike. But it’s just for 2-3 laps.”

Marini fell four times during the entire 2024 campaign, his debut season at Honda, but hit the ground 16 times in 2023 on a Ducati.

The next closest riders to Marini so far this season are Fabio di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) and Alex Rins (Monster Yamaha), both with just three falls despite completing all twelve race weekends.

Miguel Oliveira (Pramac Yamaha) also has three falls but, like Marini, missed three rounds due to injury.

Maverick Vinales, Somkiat Chantra, Raul Fernandez and Enea Bastianini round out the lower half of the 2025 crash table.

KTM stand-in Pol Espargaro, who replaced the injured Vinales at Brno, is the only 2025 competitor other than Marini not to register a fall this season. Accidents in testing are not included.