Randy Mamola outlines what Honda ‘really needs’ to do after Luca Marini’s Americas Grand Prix display

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Luca Marini produced a fantastic effort for Honda in qualifying for the Grand Prix of the Americas.

The Italian rider failed to reach Q2 outright but put his RC213V at the top of the timesheets in Q1. Marini advanced to Q2 with Fabio Quaratararo in second.

Teammate Joan Mir joined Marini in Q2 by automatically qualifying from practice on Friday. The 2020 champion will line up eighth for Sprint and the main race in Austin.

Marini will share the third row with Mir as he qualified seventh, over a quarter of a second ahead of his teammate. The 27-year-old was six tenths off pole sitter Marc Marquez.

Marini’s display is encouraging not just for Honda but the Italian personally. He has been desperately struggling with the Japanese manufacturer since moving from VR46 in 2024.

Randy Mamola says Honda ‘really needs’ to push Luca Marini after his Americas Grand Prix performances

Honda have made a drastic improvement over the winter. The manufacturer have gone from last in 2024 to second after two races in 2025.

Marini has amassed 10 points thus far after finishing 12th and 10th in Thailand and Argentina respectively. This is already significantly better than his 2024 performances – it took the Italian nine rounds to score his first point last season.

Marini has struggled to find consistency on the RC213V – Honda will hope his qualifying in Austin will be the start of a good run of form. Speaking on MotoGP’s Inside the Paddock, four-time 500cc runner-up Randy Mamola has urged the Japanese outfit to push him forward.

“Luca was falling behind just a little but here in Texas, he’s been a good guy. And Honda really needs to be able to push that kind of thing and have the communication that goes on.

“This is why when we think about having just two bikes out there versus four, and/or people who have six, it’s a lot different.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Luca Marini from his net worth to half brother

Luca Marini is fighting to keep his MotoGP career alive

Marini will be desperate to find form in 2025. He is out of contract at the end of the season, putting his future in MotoGP in jeopardy.

Neil Hodgson would demote Marini from the factory Honda team and replace him with Johann Zarco. The Frecnhman is currently fifth in the standings with 25 points.

Marini says Zarco’s riding style better suits the Honda, hence the pace advantage the LCR rider has over him. The 27-year-old will need to continue scoring regular points if he wants to stay on the grid in 2026.

However, it seems that Marini’s replacement may have already been found. Toprak Raztaglioglu is in talks with Honda over a supposed two-year contract, with the Turkish rider likely to want a factory seat.