Honda introduced on the Monday after the 2023 season ended that it had signed Marini from VR46 – with whom he already had a 2024 contract in place – on a two-year deal to interchange Gresini-bound Marquez.
It ended weeks of hypothesis as to who would get the seat, with Miguel Oliveira initially its favoured choice earlier than it in the end settled on Marini after quite a few names appeared as potential replacements.
Marini being given a two-year deal breaks with Honda’s preliminary strategy of solely providing a one-year contract, one thing that stored Oliveira on the Aprilia satellite tv for pc group to be taken over by Trackhouse Racing in 2024 following RNF’s collapse.
Talking after the announcement, Puig instructed motogp.com that Marini was the primary rider to investigate about becoming a member of Honda when Marquez’s exit was confirmed.
“Properly, he was the primary man and his group who approached us when the information of Marc [leaving] went out,” Puig mentioned.
“So, we have been approached from them and it sounded fascinating. Actually, there weren’t so many choices as a result of the riders have been all roughly settled in their very own groups.
“He had the chance to do it, so we have been considering and his development has been good within the final years. We studied his development and at last determined he could be a great choice.”
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
Luca Marini, Repsol Honda Crew
Marini’s expertise of the Ducati proved an interesting issue for Honda because it seems to engineer its approach again to the entrance of the grid, having completed final within the constructors’ desk in 2023.
“Our precedence at this second is to create the right growth for our bike,” he added.
“We’re removed from the place now we have to be. And that is our precedence, to make a transparent step within the growth of our bikes for subsequent season and past.
“For that, we are attempting to make a brand new group, a brand new construction, a brand new organisation that can assist the event be sooner, faster and within the appropriate path.
“Relating to riders, as I mentioned earlier than, we did not have many choices because of the circumstances with all riders on contracts, we thought with Luca along with his expertise and different years on different bikes we may get a great revenue from this.
“We now have to make growth on our bike and we needed to convey a man with expertise on one other bike. That is the perfect we may do.”
Puig says Honda is implementing a brand new construction “from the bottom” to assist overturn its type, which features a recruitment drive.
“We are attempting to restructure the group, however from the bottom,” he mentioned. “From the bottom basis of the group means [in] Japan and likewise the core of the group in Europe. So, the vital factor is to alter the system.
“For that, we are attempting to recruit new individuals within the subsequent following months and years, as a result of we consider we are able to get good expertise.
“There may be additionally superb expertise in Europe and we at the moment are attempting to implement and use it inside our group.”
He additionally confirmed that Marini won’t convey anybody with him from VR46 and can inherit Joan Mir’s crew, who has taken over Marc Marquez’s former group.
