Marini (Honda): “We need to find more speed to make things easier for ourselves!”

Luca Marini has shown impressive consistency in the 2026 MotoGP season. Riding the RC213V, he has achieved nine top-10 finishes in the Sunday races across twelve events. In early August, he finished 9th at the Silverstone Grand Prix.

Marini currently sits 10th in the World Championship standings with 86 points, making him the highest-placed Honda rider. “I’m pleased with the consistency we’ve been able to show every weekend, and with the work the team has put in to keep improving right up until the start of Sunday’s race,” emphasised Valentino Rossi’s half-brother ahead of the Aragon Grand Prix.

Marini sees room for improvement in the practice sessions, particularly in qualifying. “Our consistency has been very good, but we need to work on finding a bit more pace earlier in the weekend to make things a bit easier for ourselves on Saturday and Sunday afternoon,” said the 29-year-old. “If you look at our pace, we have the potential to get closer to the top riders, but we have to fight too hard at the start.”

In 2025, Marini did not compete at Aragon due to a serious crash at Suzuka

In 2025, the Aragon Grand Prix took place in early June. Luca Marini was unable to take part last year due to injury. The Italian suffered a serious crash at the end of May whilst testing the Honda CBR1000RR-R SP for the Suzuka 8 Hours race. The list of his injuries was long: a dislocated left hip, ligament damage to his left knee, fractures to his sternum and left collarbone, and a right-sided pneumothorax. Marini made a swift recovery in the weeks that followed, making his MotoGP comeback at the Sachsenring in early July.

“Last year I missed Aragon due to injury, so I’m expecting a significant improvement after 2024,” said Marini. Two years ago, the Honda factory rider finished only 17th and thus outside the points.

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28.08.2026 - 08:55