Luca Marini will suit up for a third season with Honda’s factory MotoGP squad in 2026, locking in alongside teammate Joan Mir until the end of the current cycle. The new deal was always on the cards after Honda’s failed attempt to poach Jorge Martin from Aprilia, and Marini himself seemed pretty unfazed, suggesting he and the team have always understood each other.
Marini’s Honda Journey
- Made his MotoGP debut in 2021 with VR46 Ducati, before jumping to HRC last year after Marc Márquez’s shock exit.
- Best result so far: sixth at the Sachsenring in July, which came not long after missing three rounds with injuries sustained ahead of the Suzuka 8 Hours.
- Halfway into 2025, Marini—Valentino Rossi’s half-brother—holds 15th in the standings, making him Honda’s second-best rider with 52 points, ahead of Mir’s 32.
The State of Honda’s Lineup
- Marini and Mir are locked in through 2026, giving Honda some much-needed stability as they try to close the gap to frontrunners like Ducati.
- Honda had eyes on Jorge Martin for 2026, but with the reigning champ staying put at Aprilia, HRC is said to be eying him for a potential 2027 super-team slot when fresh technical regulations roll in.
- Johann Zarco is expected to continue leading efforts at the satellite LCR operation, but Somkiat Chantra may be on his way out after a challenging first half of the season.
Factory & Satellite Changes in the Air
- Speed differences between Chantra and the rest of Honda’s riders have become an issue: HRC’s engineers can’t rely on his data for development, which is a big problem as they try to close the performance deficit to Ducati.
- Honda may even reconsider its relationship with Idemitsu, the main LCR sponsor, as it looks to the future—particularly if they can’t find other quick Asian riders to anchor that project.
With Marini and Mir now secured, Honda’s immediate focus will be on clawing back competitiveness and shaping up for the technical shake-up set for 2027, still with an eye on big-name signings down the road.
