Luca Marini completed his third MotoGP season this year. Two pole positions and two podiums marked his best campaign so far, which concluded with a contract signing with Repsol Honda for 2024.
The Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider had a shaky start by retiring from the Portugal GP, but he then embarked on a sequence of three top-ten finishes - including a second-place finish that marked his first-ever podium. Despite the thrill of the moment, he was clear at the time that he didn't consider himself a title contender:
– I don't think so, because I used my joker in Portimao when I had zero points, and in a championship with so many fast riders with factory bikes and teams it's difficult to compete with them. I just try to focus on myself, my riding and enjoying every moment
Another setback occurred in France, where he failed to finish the main race after a striking incident with Álex Márquez (Gresini/Ducati).
From then until the end of the season, Marini showcased consistency. He finished outside the top ten in the main race only twice and suffered one more retirement: it was in Indonesia, where he secured his first career pole position.
Interestingly, this pole position came after the most challenging phase of the season for the Italian: a crash in the India Sprint race left him injured, sidelining him from that round and the Japanese GP. There was still time for another podium, securing third place in Qatar where he also started from pole position after an outstanding qualifying performance.
The result in Losail even left Marini with prospects of finishing in the top five of the championship, a goal he pursued at the Valencia GP: ‘The top 5 in the overall standings would be fantastic’, he said at the time.
A less successful round at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit pushed the Italian to eighth place overall, 24 points away from the top five classification. Nevertheless, tallying up, this was Marini's best MotoGP season so far, finishing in eighth place with 201 points accumulated. He even surpassed his best points record without Sprint races. Nonetheless, he fell significantly short compared to his teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who rode the same bike: #72 finished third with 128 more points. Next up is the chapter with Repsol Honda, promising to be challenging at a time when the Japanese have been one of the less competitive constructors in the field.
Luca Marini's 2023 season:
Portugal GP: DNF in Sprint and GP – Not classified in the championship
Argentina GP: 3rd in Sprint/8th in GP – 11th in the championship
Americas GP: 7th in Sprint/2nd in GP – 6th in the championship
Spanish GP: 10th in Sprint/6th in GP – 6th in the championship
French GP: 4th in Sprint/DNF in GP – 6th in the championship
Italian GP: 5th in Sprint/4th in GP – 6th in the championship
German GP: 4th in Sprint/5th in GP – 6th in the championship
Dutch TT: 11th in Sprint/7th in GP – 6th in the championship
British GP: 11th in Sprint/7th in GP – 7th in the championship
Austrian GP: DNF in Sprint/4th in GP – 6th in the championship
Catalan GP: 12th in Sprint/11th in GP – 7th in the championship
San Marino GP: 7th in Sprint/9th in GP – 7th in the championship
India GP: DNF in Sprint/DNS GP - 8th in the championship
Japanese GP: Absent due to injury – 8th in the championship
Indonesian GP: 2nd in Sprint/DNF in GP – 8th in the championship
Australian GP: 12th in GP (no Sprint race) – 8th in the championship
Thai GP: 3rd in Sprint/7th in GP – 8th in the championship
Malaysian GP: 9th in Sprint/10th in GP – 8th in the championship
Qatar GP: 3rd in Sprint/3rd in GP – 7th in the championship
Valencia GP: 17th in Sprint/9th in GP – 8th in the championship
