Luca Marini continues far from being at the level of Joan Mir in arriving at Repsol Honda – where the Spaniard has been since last year. Until last year, he had only ridden Ducati bikes in MotoGP, so he is still in a phase of adaptation and learning.
The Italian explained that he believes that his colleague’s greater experience and knowledge with the bike allow him to approach the way of riding differently, taking greater risks:
– “He has better confidence with the bike. I think he has more experience, so he understands much better the feeling with the front, and the rear in the entry phase of the corner. He can be more aggressive, risking more in the final phase of the lean angle, and tries to make a difference there. In the end, he is faster than me there.”
Marini considers that, otherwise, they are on a more similar level, although he has some other difficulties: ‘After that, it’s very similar. I’m struggling with braking, but sometimes I arrive at the corners a bit on the limit and I can’t make the bike turn like they do. When you release the brake with a very constant pressure, the bike turns well. But you need to trust the Michelin tire.’
Marini’s season started with a 20th place in the Qatar GP, and in Portugal he was 17th – just two positions away from being able to score points. However, in both rounds he was the lowest ranked of the Honda riders.
