Luca Marini: “They were with Marc Marquez before… now they trust me”

Stepping into the void left by eight-time world champion Marc Marquez’s departure to Ducati for 2024, Luca Marini has admitted it took time to earn the “trust” of HRC engineers.

But after a gruelling debut season of just 14 points, Marini made big strides during his second HRC campaign, ending the year with 142.

Marini wasn’t able to join LCR’s Johann Zarco and team-mate Joan Mir on the podium.

However, had he not missed three rounds due to Suzuka Superbike injuries, the 28-year-old would almost certainly have claimed the six extra points needed to finish as Honda’s top rider in the world championship standings.

Marini’s 2025 progress mirrored the RCV’s improvements, later put at “57%” closer to the front than the previous year.

While the quality of his feedback remained the same, the Italian felt the increased trust placed in it by HRC engineers played a key role in bike development.

“I think now I have their trust,” Marini said late in the season. “So every time I speak, they are not only listening, but they also do what I request.

“Because I was new here… They were with Marc before, winning a lot, so it was a different situation with me arriving - with not enough titles to be the number one rider in the Honda factory!

“But after some tests, some GPs, they started to trust me.

“I think I have some qualities, and they understood that to follow my direction and feedback would be a key.”

Marini insisted it wasn’t a surprise that such trust didn’t exist straight away.

“It takes time. I think in every team it is like this. But in Honda even more. They are used to winning every GP. Now we are starting from the bottom, but the target is to come back and fight for victory from next season.”

The former VR46 Ducati podium finisher added that it wasn’t just about delivering precise information on new parts and bike behaviour, but showing leadership.

“Not only technical feedback, also on the human side,” he said. “I think creating a great atmosphere inside the garage is super important in this new MotoGP era, because we have a lot of events and people get stressed so much.

“It’s not easy also for the mechanics, and it's important to have everything under control, take the lead of the team and of everybody in the best way.”

Honda’s improved form also means they have moved up a concession class from D to C for 2026.