Luca Marini has expressed his concern with safety at the Suzuka circuit following his crash there in May whilst testing for Honda in anticipation of the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race.

Marini missed several races of the 2025 MotoGP season due to the severity of the crash that left him with multiple fractures, a dislocated hip and a punctured lung.

The Honda HRC rider returned to action at the German Grand Prix in July, despite Marini not knowing he would be fit to return at all during the 2025 season.

Marini intended to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours as a way to strengthen his ties with Honda, but the crash left him in limbo after reports emerged of his future in MotoGP changing drastically.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Honda from the MotoGP team’s riders to leadership

Luca Marini is ‘certain’ that Suzuka is currently far ‘too dangerous’ for MotoGP to hold a race there

Speaking to Motorsport-Total, the Italian rider spoke about the beauty of the Japanese circuit before offering his verdict on a possible return to Suzuka for MotoGP, saying, “I think it’s a very nice track because it’s built in the old style—with banked corners, uphill and downhill sections, and grassy areas along the track.

“That’s special because it would be very easy to have asphalt run-off areas. On TV and in the videos I saw before Suzuka, it doesn’t seem that exaggerated. But when you drive there, there’s actually a lot of banking, and that gives the riders a very good feeling.

YearRiderBike2003Valentino RossiHonda2002Valentino RossiHonda2001Valentino RossiHonda2000Norifumi AbeYamaha1998Kenny Roberts JrSuzukiLast five MotoGP/500cc winners at Suzuka

“But one thing is certain: At the moment, the track is too dangerous for us. We have now achieved a very high standard in terms of safety in Europe, and the Safety Commission is also doing very good work with the riders and Dorna.

“You sometimes forget how dangerous it can be to ride a motorcycle on a track. I never thought it could be so dangerous there. But when you crash, you understand: In almost every corner, I would have hit the barrier if I had crashed.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Luca Marini from his net worth to half-brother

Luca Marini thinks the chances of MotoGP returning to Suzuka are slim due to officials not wanting to ‘change anything about it’

The last time the Japanese Grand Prix was held at Suzuka was in 2003, which was won by Marini’s half-brother, Valentino Rossi. The circuit was also the site of the first Grand Prix of the MotoGP era, happening in the year before Suzuka’s exit from the calendar.

Whilst Marini does enjoy the track in its current format, a change is needed for MotoGP to return to the circuit, which Marini doesn’t believe will happen anytime soon, stating, “It’s not nice, maybe you’re lucky and nothing happens.

“But with bad luck, you can suffer much worse injuries than I did. And my injury was serious, but it could have been much worse. I’m grateful for that.”

“But I don’t know—I think the Japanese attitude toward the track is very clear. They don’t want to change anything about it. Because they want to keep the track exactly as it is.”

Marini’s future at Honda was secured after he signed an extension to his current contract, which will see him through to the end of the 2026 season with the Japanese constructor. This may open up another chance for the Italian to take part in the Suzuka 8 Hours next season instead.