Luca Marini: “The bike is in the best position since I started”

Luca Marini insists his Honda is in the “best position” since he joined the manufacturer.

Much of Marini’s debut year with Honda has been miserable - it took him until the ninth MotoGP round of 2024 to score his first point, due to tyre pressure penalties to three other riders.

But last week at Misano, both factory Honda riders enjoyed a rare moment of sunshine.

Joan Mir finished 11th and Marini 12th, after both overtook KTM’s Jack Miller.

It was the best result of the season for both Repsol Honda riders.

“I am really looking forward to Indonesia,” Marini said ahead of this weekend’s return to Mandalika.

“Honda has such an incredible presence there – you see it every time you go.

“We arrive in a good moment, races where we are improving and making progress and now the bike is in the best position since I started with Honda.

“I am hungry to get back out and keep working, so having three races in a row is a positive for me.

“Indonesia is a place I like and I am very excited to see what we can achieve on the RC213V.”

Mir added: “It’s a good feeling to get on the plane after a better result, of course there is still work to do to get back to where Honda and I know we should be.

“But it’s a first step and now we must confirm it as our place in the next races.

“We’ve found something in the last few months so this is positive. Indonesia is a fantastic country to visit, Lombok an incredible island.

“You have to battle a lot of things there, the heat and sometimes the rain. Let’s enjoy it.”

Mandalika is also a circuit which brings back fond memories for Repsol Hond’s newest rider.

Marini earned his first MotoGP pole position here last season.