[ad_1]
It was the end of June, the championship was stopped by Covid and nobody knew what would happen. Luca Marini was on the roads of Il Ciocco at the wheel of a Hyundai rally. There was talk of his future and the (really slim) chances of moving to MotoGP in 2021. “There may be some surprises from here to ValenciaHe had told us and we hadn’t quite believed him. On the other hand, he was right, next year he will be in the premier class, in the Avintia team’s Ducati. And the announcement came right in Valencia.
Where is Luca for the Grand Prix. It is night and he is having dinner after the last meeting with his team. We remind you of that exchange.
“Look, he was right. I really believed in that, you never know what will happen “ gloats.
How did you react when they told you it was done?
“I didn’t find out many days ago. I was over the moon when I received the confirmation. I thank Ducati for this opportunity, it is a good project and I hope to have a good MotoGP ride with them. I like Ducati and its working method, it is the manufacturer who works the most. They always bring new inventions to the track and then everyone copies them“.
“I have not talked to Valentino yet, with him the MotoGP dream is even more beautiful”
Did you already talk about it with Valentino?
“No, because he was at home in solitary confinement and couldn’t see him.”.
Didn’t you call him?
“I’m not very good with phones (walk). Racing in MotoGP has always been my dream and doing it with him is even more beautiful“
Ok, racing MotoGP with your brother Valentino has always been a dream of yours, but did you think you could make it come true?
“When I was little I would not have even thought about it, but growing up I always said that I expected him to extend his contracts and that he would go as fast as possible to be able to race together and we both succeeded. He will race at least one more season, I hope more, I did well in Moto2 and it happened. It’s cute, I still have to get used to it, I have to internalize this”.
Do you think your relationship will change in any way?
“Ior I think the relationship between the drivers really changes only if you fight to win. If you play the positions further back, everyone is friends, problems come when you fight for something bigger, there everyone thinks for themselves and it is good that it is, it is sport”.
Have you already put Bagnaia in the press for more information?
“As I always do, even before I knew that I would move to MotoGP. I am curious, it is a world that I am passionate about and I want to know all the background stories that it hides, in the end you see very little on TV”.
“Pablo Nieto and two technicians will follow me in the Avintia team”
Both Sky and VR46 will follow you in MotoGP, will you also bring people from your team?
“Christian Dionigi and Gianluca Falconi will come, in addition to Pablo Nieto (which will follow Luca’s sports management together with Ruben Xaus ed). I have trusted those who work with me on VR46 to find the best possible solution. I spoke with Ducati and even the technical part seems good to me, I just have to give 100% in Moto2 and from Monday after the Portimao GP I will start thinking about next year ”..
Has the uncertainty about your future destabilized you in the last few races?
“No, I’m a cold guy, I also knew that if I didn’t go to MotoGP I would have stayed in Moto2 in the Sky team, where I’ve always felt good. I wasn’t worried, I just felt ready for this jump and it’s good to be able to do it next year and with Ducati.”.
So you have no doubts about this step?
“Mine was a somewhat particular path because I entered the World Championship directly in Moto2 and I was a bit at a disadvantage, because Moto3 is a category that trains the rider a lot and makes you understand many things about the World Championship. Instead, I come from the Moto2 European Championship, which was unfortunately at a very low level, and it took me a few years to adjust.. In 2016 there were Morbidelli, Zarco, Lowes, Rins, it was the year of the big names and the level was crazy, they were scary. It took me a while, then when at the end of 2018 I was ready and understood the bike, they changed the engine and tires and I had to start from scratch, like all the other riders. Now I’m 100% back and I feel like I’ve learned everything I could learn from this category and I’m ready to take the leap. I know that MotoGP is another planet, there will be work to do and I want to take things easy”.
“I will ask Bagnaia to explain everything possible, but also to Valentino and Morbidelli”
Can the other Academy pilots help you?
“First of all I want Pecco to explain to me as much as possible why he rides the Ducati, then Valentino, Franco and of course Dall’Igna and all the engineers who will work with me.”.
Unfortunately, before getting on the Desmosedici you will have to wait until February, because there will be no tests in November.
“I will spend the winter waiting for that moment, I hope to have other positive thoughts that will come from Moto2”.
What intrigues you the most about seeing in MotoGP or the rider?
“I am very focused on Moto2, I will have all winter to think about these things. I have this spirit “.
“It wasn’t drugged, the frame was damaged and we didn’t notice it”
So let’s talk about Moto2, how do you see this end of the season?
“Unfortunately in the Le Mans accident, in addition to injuring myself, I had also damaged the chassis and we only realized this at the second Aragon Grand Prix on Saturday. So I ran two races with the frame a little crooked, actually I had no confidence in the rear wheel. We had modified the whole bike but the problems remained the same, until I said: it is impossible for me to fight so much and we can no longer fix the bike. So we changed everything and the bike worked again, but we were late with work and in the second race in Aragon I had problems. Here in Valencia the weather conditions did not help and now I am trying to recover those sensations that I had on the bike all season, I am sure they will return soon “..
How are you physically?
“I still have some ankle discomfort, the one that I injured at Le Mans. I crashed in training and hit the same spot again, but now it’s better”.
“Lowes is in a magic bubble, Bastianini and I have to burst it”
Let’s talk about the opponents.
“Lowes is like he’s in a magic bubble, Enea, Bezzecchi and I have to be good at making this bubble burst so that everything is okay for him.. He is very difficult to beat because he has a very particular riding style and an equally particular bike that works with him. You can’t copy his trajectories, he uses curves a lot, Enea has that style too, but Lowes takes it to extremes.”.
Then there is Bastianini.
“It’s scary, in the race it’s always tonic, you never understand how you work on the weekend, it seems like it’s hiding, although I don’t think it is.. I expected him to be fast, he’s in a good team and Giovanni Sandi has a lot of experience. It is a fight between drivers but also between teams. Too bad for the last few races, luckily we discovered the problem, it seemed like it was reunited (Serie). There are still three races left to ride like me again”.
Are you happy to have Enea as a teammate in MotoGP?
“I’m very. When you are a rookie there are two good possibilities: having an experienced teammate to learn from, but in MotoGP you can also look at data from other riders, or from another rookie to push yourself and level up. I have a good relationship with Enea and it’s nice to be two Italians “.
[ad_2]
