“Incredible” Honda MotoGP progress hailed by Luca Marini

Honda’s Luca Marini has hailed the brand’s progress as “incredible” after he rode to his first top five result on the bike at the MotoGP Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Italian joined Honda last season from VR46 Ducati as Marc Marquez’s replacement, but struggled to get form out of the RC213V for much of 2024.

It took him until the last round before the summer break to score his first point for Honda last season, and that was only the result of a penalty for a rider ahead.

Luca Marini has been stronger in 2025, but faced injury woes following a Suzuka 8 Hours test crash, as well as uncertainty over his future as both Pedro Acosta and Jorge Martin became linked to his Honda ride.

Now set to stay put for 2026, Marini put in his best weekend yet on the Honda at Balaton Park, finishing fifth in the grand prix and fourth in the sprint.

“It was a really solid weekend, since the beginning,” he said.

“From FP1 I was feeling comfortable in a new track and a new layout.

“I knew it could be a good occasion for us, an opportunity, so I tried to work super strong, super hard in this weekend from the beginning and try to improve my riding with the bike.

“We grew up a lot together, this weekend. We made good moves on the setting and I was feeling really comfortable on the bike.

“With a good qualifying and a good start everything is easier. So, it was really a nice weekend.”

Asked to compare where the bike is now compared to las year, Marini added: “It’s easy to make a comparison compared to last season.

“It’s incredible to where we started to what I achieve now. It was part of a process.

“Every result that we achieved in the last races, last season and this season, were something that helped us to arrive here.

“And now I think we have to confirm in other tracks, especially in more difficult tracks for us, like Barcelona.

“There also we will have to test well all the updates we have on the bike, because still it’s not clear what the best compromise is on the bike.”

Both Marini and team-mate Joan Mir raced a new chassis at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which proved to be a step forward.

However, Marini is convinced top five results could have come sooner with better qualifying performances.

“I was feeling that this kind of result could happen in the past in some other races, but unfortunately it was not possible to go directly into Q2,” he said.

“Then passing through Q1 is always super difficult, and then when you start at the back there is always less opportunity to try to make a good result.

“But on this weekend everything worked in a very positive way and a good way.”