Marini: Amazing Silverstone Race, Shame You Couldn't See It

Luca Marini was once again the leading Japanese bike rider at the MotoGP Silverstone round, climbing from 15th to ninth in Sunday's race. But the HRC rider was left disappointed after discovering that almost none of his progress had been shown on the live broadcast.

"Well, on my side, an amazing race. It's a pity that you couldn't see me, because I was never shown on the TV!" he smiled. "But I did a very good race. Very good overtakes."

His start was poor, losing several positions in the first two corners, but he recovered strongly. "I'm really satisfied about the management of the fuel, the tyre, and the overtakes. I'm improving on this side and this is what I need for the future," he added.

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With manufacturers shifting focus to the new 850cc/Pirelli machines for next year, Marini is concentrating on getting the most from the current Honda package. "Working on myself and getting this kind of result with the bike that we have at the moment, because more than this is difficult," he said. "This result is the reality, at least on this circuit, because taking more than one second per lap from Aprilia is unbelievable. It's really huge, the gap."

Unlike many riders who struggled with the soft rear tyre in the Sprint, Marini had no significant issues with the medium compound in the grand prix. "It was the same as the past years, I think. A little bit of management, but not a drama," he explained.

Marini had hinted that his move to Tech3 KTM might be confirmed during the Silverstone weekend, but no announcement came. Meanwhile, team-mate Joan Mir crashed out, and Diogo Moreira was the next-best Honda rider, finishing 1.6 seconds behind Marini.