Luca Marini 'curious to race’ MotoGP bike at Jerez

Luca Marini secured his first points in MotoGP last time out at Portimao with a 12th place finish. 

The 2020 Moto2 runner-up was competitive throughout the weekend, spending most of the early race laps inside the top ten, before slowly sliding down the field having started in eighth position. 

Still, the 12th place finish was a big improvement in regards to the double header in Qatar where he finished 16th and 18th. 

With Jerez being a short and tight layout, qualifying high up on the grid will be crucial. This was perhaps the biggest step forward that Marini made in Portugal, which could be a good sign come Sunday afternoon.

“We arrived in Jerez after a good weekend in Portimao. We start with historical European circuits that all the riders know very well from other categories,” added Marini.  

“I am very curious to race on this track with the MotoGP: compared to Portugal and Qatar, as it is shorter so it will be more difficult to reach the pace. 

“We will start with the work done in Portimao, to try to achieve the positive feelings that I had there, and to achieve the best results in the race.”

Like his team-mate Enea Bastianini, Marini will be buoyed by last year’s Moto2 results at the Andalusian based circuit, as he took a victory and second place in both races. 

Marini currently sits 18th in the championship standings which is last of the rookies, however, the 23 year-old is one spot ahead of his half-brother and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, which will no doubt be an interesting topic of discussion at the VR46 training ranch.