Luca Marini faces the Americas GP with a clear objective: to continue the evolution and get closer to the top finishers. The Italian Honda HRC Castrol rider has shown a strong pace on Sundays, but knows that a better position on the starting grid will be essential to compete at the highest level.
In a preview statement for the round in Texas, the Italian showed his ambition: ‘I want more in Austin. We are satisfied with the performance in the first two races, but now it’s time to take a step forward. If we can improve in qualifying, we can be much closer to the front.’
In Argentina, Marini demonstrated an impressive pace during the race, managing to reduce the gap to the leaders, however, he recognizes that starting from behind makes it difficult to fight for top positions: ‘I was happy with my race pace and managed to recover a lot of time to the front runners, but when you’re always recovering, you reach a point where you can’t do any more, because you’ve used the tire too much. Starting further ahead will help us be more competitive.’
The Circuit of the Americas brings back good memories for Marini, who won his first podium in the premier class there in 2023. Now, the goal is to make the most of this weekend and secure a strong result for Honda HRC Castrol: ‘COTA is a track I really like, so I want to make the most of this race.’