Marini won the chase to replace Marc Marquez, who has moved to Gresini Ducati, at Honda for the 2024 MotoGP season.

It is a h💦igh-profile move for Valentino Rossi’s brother who rode for VR46 last season, but will now step up to a factory position.

“It was a shock after Marc announced his change,” Marini sa๊id in his first words since joining Honda officia♎lly on January 1, 2024.

“Me, my group, my manager tried to find 😼a way to approach this new project, to improve together, to build a better bike with bette🗹r performance.

“To come back to win races, to win cꦛhampion🦋ships, this is our goal and our target.

“It will be a very satisfying moment…”

Marini explained why the Honda opportunity appealed: 🧸“Fiಞrst of all, it is the best in history. The numbers and statistics speak for themselves.

“It is a particul♚ar moment now, but I think we have the power to co💛me back very soon.

“I will try to give all my energy to this project, and if we find the cor🗹rect direction, we hღave the power to stay at the top for many years.”

Honda has struggled badly over the past few 🐎years, to the point where eight-time champion Marquez gave up on the team who he became synonymous with.

Marini’s analytical and data-driven skills are seen as the perfect accomp🍃animent for a Honda team who are looking for ♔rejuvenation this year.

He will team with Joan Mir, and Maﷺrini has immediately set his sights upon edging his new team🀅mate.

“I want to start with an open mind,” Marini said. “We need to understand our speed and our potential after the fi🦄rst test.

“We need to find our balance, find a waꦓy to directly beat my opponents, my teammates with the same manufacturer and the same bike. This is the first goal.

“Also, I want to look forward and find a way to get a podium with this bike, and to ജget a victory.

“I know it will be tough. But ꦰwe need to slowly look a🔜head.”

He explained his first day meeting HRC staff: “It was amazing🎶. It pass🤪ed in a fast way.

“We will have a lot of time in the winter, in the tests, in the season to ܫspeak with every member of the t🌌eam.

“I🐈t is a dream to work with these people, and also with the Japanese, I have a good feeling, I love the culture. We can have a good energy.”

Luca Marini via Instagram

"🍌It's now official, the dream come true. I will give everything"

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp)

Marini’s move to Honda was poignant not only because his brother Rossi once represented the brand, but also ಌbecause Mariꩵni himself wore Honda leathers as a young up-and-comer.

“Destiny? I don’t know,” he said about t♈he ꦬpicture of himself wearing Honda colours from many years ago. 

“I don’t remember why I had these leathers.

“I remember I was happy to have these colours. Every year in MotoGP history these colours were incredible, so itꦿ’s a big pleasure to wear it now.”