Luca Marini to skip Suzuka: his MotoGP future is uncertain

The Suzuka 8 Hours is an unmissable event for any manufacturer, even more so for the home brand Honda. This year too, Luca Marini will not take part in the event, but this time injuries have nothing to do with it. Meanwhile, the rider from Tavullia is preparing for the Le Mans GP and remains alert about his future in MotoGP.

Johann Zarco has confirmed his return to the Suzuka 8 Hours, after last year’s victory paired with Takumi Takahashi. Luca Marini, on the other hand, suffered a bad accident during a test prior to the competition in Japan, with rather serious consequences that forced him to miss not only the endurance race, but also three rounds of the MotoGP calendar.

Luca Marini has realized that sharing a bike in an endurance race is not easy. Especially for someone who is 181 cm tall (compared to Zarco’s 171 cm), making him one of the tallest riders in the premier class. "Apart from the accident, it was an enjoyable experience, but I understood that for endurance races I need teammates who are the same height as me," commented Valentino Rossi’s brother. "Otherwise, the bike is too uncomfortable for me. It’s better to have the same build so the bike can be set up properly for everyone."

Despite Marini’s absence, Honda arrives riding high. After securing their 31st win at Suzuka in 2025, the Golden Wing brand has ambitious plans: to field Jonathan Rea alongside Johann Zarco to go for victory with a “dream team.” This year’s race falls on an unusual date, right between the Dutch and German Grands Prix, leaving MotoGP riders with little time to rest.

Meanwhile, Luca Marini is testing the waters to put his future down in black and white. The goal is to stay with the Honda factory team, but market rumors don’t bode well. Fabio Quartararo will be the cornerstone of HRC’s MotoGP project, and alongside him could arrive David Alonso (or Zarco himself). For now, it seems he hasn’t received a concrete offer from Honda; everything is tied to the fate of the Tech3 team, which could leave KTM and join the Japanese giant.

When asked whether Honda’s ambitions to have three teams on the grid would favor his stay with the Japanese manufacturer, Marini replied: "I haven’t heard anything about that. But for me it won’t make much difference if Honda fields six bikes next year. What I want is to remain with the factory team."

Otherwise, there would be few alternative options for Luca. The most plausible is a return to VR46 with a Ducati, given that Fabio Di Giannantonio could move to KTM and Franco Morbidelli may not be reconfirmed. In that case, from 2027 he would be paired with Fermin Aldeguer, arriving in Tavullia from the Gresini Racing team. However, on that front he will have to beat competition from Nicolò Bulega.