Luca Marini endured a torrid Austrian Grand Prix, finishing a distant 14th after a promising start to the weekend. The Repsol Honda rider struggled with soaring rear tyre temperatures, losing grip and tumbling down the order. It was a stark contrast to Friday's practice, where he showed encouraging pace.
“I started well because the grip was low for everyone, but then the others seemed to improve and I stagnated. I tried everything on the bike, but nothing worked. Everything we could do, we did. Without any effect,” Marini explained, his frustration palpable.
The race itself was chaotic from the outset. “I had a bad first lap. I had some contacts with the riders behind, a bit of chaos. I tried to stay calm and say, ‘ok, now I just manage the rear tyre and see if someone ahead wears out their rear tyre.’ But unfortunately, only Diogo and Quartararo wore out their rear tyre. The rest of the riders came with their tyres in good shape,” he recounted.
An incident with Fabio Quartararo added to his woes. “I don't know what happened with Quartararo. I think it was something from Quartararo because I saw a blue piece that hit me at Turn 4. I don't know if he had contact with someone on the straight between Turn 3 and 4. I saw the wind, tried to avoid it, but it hit me here. I had a lot of pain in those two points,” Marini said.
The Italian was particularly baffled by his rear tyre temperature being over 20 degrees higher than other Honda riders. “I have a lot of difficulties with these tyres. I have a lot of difficulties with rear tyre temperature. I have a lot of spinning. I can't manage more than this, because I don't open the throttle, I don't put the bike completely upright, I don't use the device, I try to keep the temperature as low as possible. But even so, I have more than 20 degrees more than the other Honda riders. I don't understand it. Maybe it's because I'm tall and weigh more than the others, but it was a very tough Saturday and Sunday. I didn't expect so much,” he admitted.
Marini also praised Takaaki Nakagami, who substituted for Joan Mir. “He did quite well, he's in good shape. He was in Motegi doing the test with the 1000, preparing for the Wild Card. He was at the right weight, so of course, mentally and physically, he's ready to attend the GP. And Taka is a really fast rider. He's one of the best test riders on the grid, of course, and he did an incredible weekend, without any doubt. He did very well,” Marini commended.
Next up is Honda's home race at Motegi, a special occasion for Marini and all Honda riders. But with the tyre issues unresolved, Marini must find answers quickly to be competitive in front of the Japanese fans. The pressure is mounting as Honda continues to struggle.
Marini's Austrian woes also highlight the technical challenges Honda faces with the special tyre compounds. While others manage tyre temperatures effectively, Marini repeatedly suffers. Is it a setup issue, riding style, or physical factors? Clearly, Marini and his team must work overtime to bounce back at Motegi.
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