Luca Marini’s VR46 farewell: I was only emotional on my wedding day!
Valentino Rossi’s younger brother made his Moto2 debut with Forward Racing in 2016, then became a race winner in his first year ꦦat VR46 in 2018.
Improving each season, Marini moved to MotoGP on the back of title runne💫r-up to Enea Bastianini in the 2020 ♛Moto2 championship.
Init♍ially joining Bastianini in a split Avintia/VR46 garage, Rossi’s team took other both grid places from 2022.
As in Moto2, Marini has progressed constantly up the championship table in each of his premier-class seasons, rising from 19th to 12th and then 8th this year, when 💦he celebrated his first podiums and pole positions.
“It was a really fantastic period for me with the [VR46] team,” Marini said. “We shared many gre🍌at, great moments. The ⛎best moments of my career.
“Now we'll start a new era of my life, of my career where I hope to and I want to make much better results and fight forꦯ the top. So let's see in the future what we can do✅.
“But thanks to the [VR46] team for all t🐓he great memories and moments that we shared in these years. As I🦹've always said it’s a family, where I’ve worked with a great group with great people, with a lot of laughter and smiles every time.”
Marini has a reputation for keeping h🍌is emotions ice cool on the racetrack, something that didn’t change even in his final race for VR46.
“No, I was emotional only on my wedding day! Wh🎃en I'm here, I'm in race mode and it is a different emotion," he said.
"Sure, with all my guys, during the [final] weekend there were more hugs. A little bit more emotioღns🅠.
"But when I'm on track, it's something completely diffe♚rent.”
Marini’s decision to abandon a Ducati Desmosꦗedici, which won races with six different riders and took podiums with all eight of its riders, for a Honda ♎that was bottom of the constructors’ standings has raised some eyebrows.
But the chance to be in a factory team was too greꦑat to ignore.
“[I] have the best bike but going in a factory team, developing your own bike, talking with all the engineers and following your direction is a complet♓ely different thing🎀,” Marini explained.
“I know my package now is fantastic, the team is working very well and the Ducati is a fantastic bike, perform💮ing well every t💟ime and in every situation… But also as a rider, I have dreams and goals to achieve and to ride and work for a factory team is incredible.”
Marini went on to finish t🎶enth fastest, as the top Honda, on his RC213V𒁏 debut at the Valencia test.
Speaking before Marini had tried the Honda, future team-mate Joan Mir said: “I think he's a smooth rider, and normally this type of very smooth ﷺrider is quite sensitive, also. Not braking like an animal and don’t care 💜about the bike.”
Marini’s decision effectively means he is doing the opposite oജf Marquez, who is leaving 🐟the factory Honda team to ride a year-old Desmosedici, at Gresini.
“In 𝓀the end, I moved to competitive bike. He moved to a project that needs work,” Marquez said. “Buꦑt I'm happy for him.”
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and g🦩o. He is at 🌠the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
