MotoGP, Luca Marini left bitter: "I never appear on TV"

Top 10 finish for the Honda rider in the British GP: he’s satisfied with the performance, even if he’d like to be further ahead and more “noticed.”

Luca Marini finished the MotoGP race at Silverstone in ninth place, his Honda RC213V was the best-placed on Sunday. With Joan Mir crashing immediately after contact with Alex Rins, Valentino Rossi’s brother was the fastest of the Honda contingent. Rookie Diogo Moreira of the LCR team also did well, tenth at the flag and about 2 seconds behind his fellow Honda rider.

At Silverstone, tire choice was a major talking point. In the sprint race we saw rapid degradation of the soft rear, while in the long race the medium rear bothered riders less. Marini said he was quite satisfied with his performance: "No problem,” he told Motosan. I think it went like in previous years, with a bit of management but nothing dramatic. For me it was an incredible race. It’s a pity you didn’t see me, because I never appear on TV, but I had a great race. I pulled off some fantastic overtakes."

The rider from the Marche region started from 15th on the grid and his start was poor; he lost positions in the first two corners and had to fight back. Making it into the top 10 is certainly something that leaves him satisfied.

The Honda RC213V has its limits, and Marini is trying to make the difference with his riding: "I’m getting better in this area - he explains - and that’s what I need for the future. Right now, working on myself is essential to keep improving and achieve these kinds of results with the bike we currently have. Doing more than this is difficult, that’s the reality. At least on this track, because losing more than a second a lap compared to Aprilia is incredible. The gap is really huge."

One area where progress is needed is qualifying, since the Italian rider often finds himself starting far back and thus having fairly complicated races: "Qualifying is what we’re missing. The potential is there for Sunday, but if I keep starting from 15th or 16th, things get very complicated. I’d like to have easier races; starting from 8th or 9th would be fantastic."

The Honda HRC garage has worked a lot on the bike in recent months, but the RC213V’s DNA and behavior have remained fairly unchanged. Marini outlined the main issue that needs fixing: "We’re trying to get more grip, but every time we try to find more, the bike becomes very nervous. It starts to feel unstable and I lose a lot of time due to the shaking on corner exit, and the traction control keeps kicking in. So we always have to find a balance between the two aspects."

Joan Mir has been faster than him over a single lap, and Valentino Rossi’s brother knows why: "In the last few races he’s been braking very hard and very late, managing to make the difference in qualifying compared to me. I can certainly improve a lot in this area."

Marini is a hard worker and highly appreciated for his approach and the feedback he gives HRC technicians. Even though he hasn’t been confirmed for 2027 and will move to the KTM Tech3 team, he intends to give his all until the final GP for the Japanese manufacturer.

In the overall standings he is also the top Honda rider, sitting tenth with 86 points. Moreira is fifteenth with 54, so quite a way back. Finishing the 2026 MotoGP season and his adventure in HRC colors ahead of the other brand-mates would be a small satisfaction before focusing on the future.