Published on November 12, 2023 at 3:50 p.m. – updated on November 12, 2023 at 3:52 p.m. Mathieu Warnier
While Marc Marquez will join the Gresini team at the end of the season, Honda continues to look for his replacement and the name of Luca Marini has returned to the Sepang paddock. A rumor that continues to gain weight.
Has the official Honda team found a solution? Since the beginning of October, the Hamamatsu firm has been looking for a rider to replace Marc Marquez who, tired of the lack of performance of the Japanese motorcycle, will join the Ducati clan within the Gresini team from 2024. Many names have been mentioned since then, notably those of Miguel Oliveira, Maverick Viñales and even Johann Zarco. However, the Frenchman will honor his two-season contract with the LCR team, which also enters Hondas, not being certain of having the same guarantees within the official team of the Japanese manufacturer. In the Sepang paddock, a new name came to everyone’s lips, that of Luca Marini. The VR46 team rider, half-brother of Valentino Rossi, would be first in line to join Joan Mir in 2024 on the official Honda motorcycles. If Alberto Puig stubbornly refused to answer any questions concerning his future driver duo, others had less scruples in discussing the situation. At the microphone of Canal+ a few minutes before the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Pablo Nieto didn’t beat around the bush regarding Luca Marini’s future.
The VR46 team confirms for Marini and considers Aldeguer
« The rumors are true. We are very happy about it, it means that we are really doing a good job, confided the boss of the team ridden by Valentino Rossi. When a manufacturer like Honda comes to us to ask for a driver, it means we are doing a good job. That’s a first thing. Afterwards, we are happy for Luca Marini that things are going in this direction. However, this is not confirmed at the moment but there it is. » A speech which thus confirms the interest coming from the Honda team towards the half-brother of “The Doctor”, who would follow in the footsteps of his elder, driver for the Italian manufacturer between 2000 and 2003, with three world titles in the premier category up for grabs. Such a departure would require the VR46 team to find a replacement for Luca Marini and, according to information from the British magazine Autosport, the name of Fermin Aldeguer would be on the front line. The 18-year-old Spanish rider, winner of the Moto2 race at the Malaysian Grand Prix this Sunday ahead of Pedro Acosta, who validated his world title at the same time, could make the big leap into MotoGP within a few weeks with the best bike of the paddock. In any case, his boss in the intermediate category Luca Boscoscuro would already have an offer from the Italian team. Negotiations which should then close the MotoGP door to Fabio di Giannantonio, replaced by Marc Marquez at Gresini and without handlebars for 2024.
