Do you think the Pirelli DNA will continue into MotoGP? In other words, will the tyres give more feel, like they have in Moto2?
RA: I cannot say much about this, I cannot make comparisons [with the current Michelins], but, yes, I think the DNA of the Pirellis may remain.
Mir’s performance really changed towards the end of last season, with podiums at Motegi and Sepang – because you gave him what he needed?
RA: All the things we’ve done with engine, chassis and so on, plus the work done in the garage, because this is also very important. We have a very good team on both sides of the garage – they did a fantastic job last year. And don’t forget that Joan is a world champion. Like I said before, we rediscovered Joan Mir. He’s a top rider who’s had some difficult seasons, but now his potential is very good.
What about Marini?
RA: They are totally different riders. Joan is more instinctive, a more pure racer, I’d say.
Luca is unbelievable – he’s like an engineer riding a MotoGP bike. When he gets off the bike he tells you things in such a precise way. It’s very important for a company like Honda to have a guy like him.
And I was very, very impressed by how he recovered after the crash at Suzuka [during testing for the Suzuka 8 Hours], because he had a not-so-easy beginning of the season, then went to Suzuka and had such a bad crash, then he came back and did maybe his best part of the season. I am really happy for him.
A genius in the garage – Marini talks with crew chief Christian Pupulin
Does he give the best feedback you’ve heard from a rider?
RA: The most precise feedback, definitely.
You had a few engine blow-ups during the final races, which isn’t normal for Honda, so what was the story there?
RA: You know [laughs], when you are pushing the limit… Let’s say we were exploring the latest small performance increases and testing different solutions for the future. We are learning…
You also had some clutch issues at Portimao. Do you still use a Lockheed carbon clutch?
RA: Our clutch is a Honda clutch and it’s a very good clutch. This is another area we are exploring, because the starts in MotoGP have changed so much recently. The energy you put into the clutch is much greater now, so, again, we are discovering some limits and new approaches.
Will that energy be lower when holeshot devices are banned from 2027?
RA: Yes, the starts will be more normal, because now everyone can do a perfect start, more or less. Some of the experiences we’ve learned in recent years will still be used, but the starts will be more normal.
The theoretical performance of a start is to accelerate to the wheelie limit, and for sure the wheelie limit will be lower and there will be more pitch from the bike. In general, starts will be less perfect, which is also good for the spectacle.
How have you reorganised your engineering group in Europe?
RA: Race preparation is a very important point. The focus of our new office in Milan [Italy, opened in early 2025] is vehicle dynamics, so we prepare for each race with very deep analysis of the previous event, so we have improved our preparation for races.
We have pushed a lot to share information, including with LCR – sharing information, sharing opinions, and having specific meetings during the weekend to improve this kind of discussion. We have also introduced some new staff to oversee some areas where we had no coordinator. On the electronics side we are now more centralised and coordinated, and we will keep improving in 2026 with more changes.
Do you have a virtual garage in Japan?
RA: No, the virtual garage is in Milan.
Why not Japan?
RA: Japan is more dedicated to development, while in Milan we have the vehicle-dynamics group Milan, which is especially committed to supporting this activity.