Luca Marini

Hailing from Urbino, Luca Marini has built a reputation as an analytical rider, calmly and methodically approaching every racing challenge he has faced. A consistent front runner in the intermediate class earned Marini a spot in the premier class from 2021 with his breakout season coming in 2023 as he presented himself as a constant threat to the front runners. The next stage in Marini’s racing career would come in 2024 as he became a factory rider inside the Repsol Honda Team.

Background

Luca Marini was born in Urbino, Italy on August 10, 1997, and was surrounded by motorcycles and racing from a young age. Initially starting as a hobby, riding motorcycles would quickly become the young Italian’s major focus. Working his way through the junior categories in his native Italy, Marini’s time racing at home would culminate with fourth in the 2013 CIV Moto3 Championship where he claimed six podium finishes – and made his World Championship debut at the San Marino GP.

From Italy, Marini’s career would take him to the CEV championship, first on a Moto3 machine before stepping up and into the Moto2 class in 2015. Finishing second in just his second race, Marini’s talent was undeniable as he continued to finish consistently inside the top five to complete the season. With just a year of Moto2 experience, the then 19-year-old would make his full-time debut in the Moto2 World Championship Forward Racing.

A best finish of sixth in Germany would be the highlight of his rookie campaign in 2016, his speed and consistency growing the following year as he claimed five top-ten finishes including fourth at Brno. The performance would earn him a position inside the VR46 Team for the following season and Marini’s performances would once again make an impressive step forward. A debut podium in Germany would be followed by his first pole position in the World Championship at Brno, going on to take second in the race. Podiums in Austria and Thailand continued his rapid progress into a regular front-runner before clinching his debut victory in the Moto2 class at the 2018 Malaysian Grand Prix.

The 2019 season added two more wins, the Thai and Japanese Grands Prix, to Marini’s tally and missing points on just two occasions from 19 races demonstrated continued improvements to his race craft and consistency. With the pieces in place, Marini would enter the truncated 2020 season as a clear title contender and bounced back from a DNF at the opening race with victory in Jerez. A total of three wins and three further podiums would earn the VR46 rider second in the World Championship – missing the title by just nine points to Enea Bastianini.

For 2021, Marini would join the newly formed Sky VR46 Avintia team for his premier class debut. As with his entry into the Moto2 class, it would be a season of learning and steady improvements as he finished every race and earned a best finish of fifth at the Austrian GP. 2022’s campaign would see consistent finishes give way to consistent top tens, including a pair of fourths in Austria and Misano. Podiums were clearly just on the horizon as Marini continued to build his reputation as an intelligent and methodical MotoGP rider.

A debut Sprint podium would come in the second round of 2023 in Argentina, the trip West concluding with a hard fought second place finish at the Grand Prix of the Americas at round three. Now a podium finisher in the Premier Class, Marini’s results would be further boosted as he cemented himself as a consistent threat to the top five in Spring races and Grand Prix races. A first pole in India, and a second place in the Sprint, would mark a welcome return to form after suffering an injury during the Indonesian round. Pole and a pair of third place finishes in both the Saturday and Sunday races would be a crowning achievement of Marini’s strongest season in the MotoGP class.

The next step in Marini’s career would present itself in 2024, the 26-year-old becoming a factory rider as he joined the Repsol Honda Team alongside Joan Mir. From the first post-race test in Valencia, Marini’s impressive work ethic and methodical approach would instantly make a positive impression on the Repsol Honda Team and HRC engineers.

Career Information

Rider Statistics