Luca Marini “without limitations” - but will Honda bring updates to Austria?

Luca Marini is confident he can approach the final ten rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season, starting at the Red Bull Ring this weekend, without any physical limitations.

The Honda HRC rider missed three rounds after sustaining serious injuries in a Superbike testing accident at Suzuka at the end of May.

He returned with a season-best sixth place after braving the pain during a dramatic German Grand Prix, where only ten riders finished.

The Italian then added a twelfth place at Brno to raise his points total to 52 by the summer break, well clear of the 14 he managed across the entire 2024 campaign.

Marini is the only rider to have scored in every grand prix he has started this year and the sole full-time competitor yet to fall during a race weekend.

“I have had a good three weeks recovering more and more and I am feeling really good, we can approach the rest of the season without limitations,” said the Italian.

Marini also hinted that HRC will be among the manufacturers with new upgrades available this weekend.

“Austria is a really particular circuit, all about heavy braking and accelerating, and it will be a good chance to see where everyone stands after the break with upgrades and everything,” he said.

“I am looking forward to seeing the team again and continuing to push the Honda RC213V forward with the engineers.”

Joan Mir set for "intense push" in MotoGP

Marini, strongly linked with a HRC contract extension for 2026, has three previous top-five finishes at Spielberg for Ducati.

Meanwhile, team-mate Joan Mir, who claimed his maiden MotoGP podium at the circuit for Suzuki in 2020 and was runner-up again in 2021, has not scored a point there since.

Despite showing impressive speed the Spaniard heads into the weekend seeking a fresh start after points in only five of the opening 24 races, including Sprints.

“The break has been good to recharge, focus on training and reset a little bit after some tough moments in the start of the year,” Mir said. “Now we start an intense push right through to the end of the season, it is important to be well prepared for it.

“In 2024 we made a good step in the second part of the season, so I hope that we can repeat that again as a team.

“We have a lot of information and now it is time to put everything on track and show our potential because aside from some unfortunate moments before the break, we were showing our potential.”

The new Hungarian round at Balaton Park will take place the weekend after Austria.