Luca Marini responds to suggestion he’s ‘not trying hard enough’ after MotoGP crash stat emerges

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Luca Marini is out of contract at Honda at the end of the season. But he hasn’t made a particularly impressive start.

Honda’s bike is now capable of significant points hauls, a marked change from last year. The two factory riders combined for just 35, while Johann Zarco managed 55 at LCR.

Zarco is already nearly halfway to his 2024 haul (25), while Marini is just four points away on 10. The Italian has blanked in both Sprint races so far but finished 12th in the Thailand Grand Prix and 10th in Argentina.

He’s level on points with his world champion teammate Joan Mir, but Zarco is displaying the bike’s true potential. As Honda improve, they can attract bigger names, and that puts Marini under greater threat.

Luca Marini attributes lack of MotoGP crashes to his height

In an interview with MotorSport Magazine, it was put to Marini that he only crashed four times last season. He humbly responded that he crashed ‘a lot’ in testing, but those don’t count towards his tally.

By contrast, rookie Pedro Acosta crashed more than any other rider (28), while six-time premier-class champion Marc Marquez was second with 24. Journalist Mat Oxley, perhaps playing devil’s advocate, suggested that Marini may not be ‘trying hard enough’.

But the 27-year-old pointed to a physical explanation instead. While his height (just over six foot) is often a disadvantage, it improves weight distribution on the motorcycle.

For instance, he can shift backwards at the start of a race to stabilise the RC231V on corner entry. Mir and Zarco crashed 32 times combined last term.

Marini said: “I think have a very good sensibility, and I’m so tall that I can manage the weight distribution during a race in a different way to shorter riders. I think there are many negatives to being tall but there are also some positives that you can use to make the difference.

“We make changes to the bike – one millimetre higher, one millimetre lower – and the body can make much more of a difference than that, so if I feel the front tyre is a bit overloaded at the beginning of a race, I can move more to the back of the bike, so wherever I’m on the limit in corner entry this will save a crash.”

Honda may have found a replacement for Luca Marini already

Marini says Zarco’s riding style better suits the Honda bike, hence his pace advantage. Valentino Rossi’s half-brother explained that he has to counter his own instincts.

Of the four riders, only Mir has a deal in place for 2026. Zarco should be a priority, while rookie Somkiat Chantra still needs to prove himself.

There has been speculation this week that Honda could sign Toprak Razgatlioglu, the World Superbike sensation. They’re apparently in talks over a two-plus-two contract.

A rider of Razgatlioglu’s stature may insist on a factory ride, which could endanger Marini’s future. A former Moto2 runner-up, he’s never won a race in the premier class but has scored two podiums.