Luca Marini, the newly signed rider for Honda's MotoGP team, has expressed bewilderment at the current pace of his Honda bike for the 2024 season. Marini, who joined Honda to replace Marc Marquez, has had mixed results and is struggling to get up to speed with his new machine.
Despite a promising start in the post-season Valencia test, where he finished 10th and just 0.703 seconds off the pace, Marini has found the transition challenging. Honda, which has been underperforming recently, finished at the bottom of the constructors' standings in the last two seasons. This poor performance has raised concerns about the competitiveness of the bike and the team's ability to return to its former glory (SuperSport) (The Race).
Marini remains optimistic about Honda's potential. He acknowledges that the team has the capability to rebound and is committed to working closely with the engineers to improve the bike's performance. His aim is to bring Honda back to the front of the grid and to fight for race wins and titles (The Official Home of MotoGP) (SuperSport).
The adaptation period for Marini is crucial, and while the initial tests have shown some promise, there is a significant amount of work ahead. The 2024 season will be a test of both Marini's and Honda's ability to innovate and improve in a highly competitive field