Marco Bezzecchi
VR46 chief Uccio Salucci has sung his praises about his former rider, Luca Marini, and his impact at Honda, while brutally putting down his teammate, Joan Mir.
Marini, who is Valentino Rossi’s half-brother, came through the VR46 academy and earned a move to MotoGP in 2021 after finishing 2nd in Moto2 with the team the year before.
Predict the order of the Honda riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
The Italian scored his only two podiums with the team in 2023, recording his best finish in the sport with eighth. For 2024, Marini decided to leave VR46 and join Honda, where he has since looked to revive their MotoGP project.
It has not been an easy ride for the 28-year-old, scoring just 14 points in 2024. But Marini helped Honda take a step forward in 2025, scoring points in all but one race he competed in, and it was his P7 in Valencia that moved the team to C rank in the concessions system.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Luca Marini from his net worth to half-brother
Uccio Salucci says Joan Mir’s performances have been ‘useless’ for Honda while Luca Marini is ‘reviving’ them
Marini has played a key role in building Honda back towards the front of MotoGP after years of regression. The team are looking to continue that trajectory into the 850cc era, with Honda signing Fabio Quartararo for 2027.
The 2026 season opener in Thailand saw Marini finish P10, while Joan Mir retired in the final stages with a rear tyre failure. The Spaniard had been running well throughout the weekend, but luck was not on his side.
Mir has desperately struggled for consistency since joining Honda. While he did score two podiums in 2025, he retired from 12 races.
Was Uccio Salucci too harsh on Joan Mir?
Discussing Marini’s form at Honda with journalist Giovanni Zamagni, VR46 chief Salucci lauded the Italian and how he has progressed with the Japanese manufacturer. It was here that he brutally put down Mir, calling his performances ‘useless’ for the team.
“Marini is reviving HRC, because it’s true that Mir sometimes performs a little better, but those performances are useless, in my opinion,” he said.
“Marini, on the other hand, is there conducting the orchestra of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, so he has turned out to be what I always thought he was, a great guy and a great rider.”
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