Luca Marini has highlighted a divide between manufacturers exposed by the Sprint at the Misano MotoGP. The Honda HRC Castrol rider explained that the soft-compound rear tyre, chosen by the majority of riders, was not an option for him, as Honda needs maximum grip.
In the 13-lap Sprint, Marini opted for the soft rear, while front-runners like Marc Marquez chose the medium. Marquez later revealed that his decision was influenced by crashes for Ducati riders in qualifying, where the soft rear's grip overloaded the front tyre.
For Marini, this difference reflects each bike's characteristics. The Honda RC213V generates less grip than the Ducati Desmosedici, making the soft rear a necessity. “This surprised me,” Marini said. “For us, Honda, the soft was the only choice because we want as much grip as possible. So, it was never an option for me to consider the medium.”
He added that the medium choice benefits other manufacturers. “If they have more grip than us and use the medium, it's better for them. You can gain stability on exit and especially in sector three, you can have more performance from the whole bike,” he explained.
However, for Sunday's race, Marini ruled out the soft. “Like every year here, we go soft in the Sprint and medium in the race,” he said. “When the soft becomes used, you start to have a lot of movement on exit, so you lose acceleration. So, better to focus on the medium that the rider can push until the end at 100 percent.”
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