A young and talented driver, who is looking for his place in the world by not being crushed by a particularly cumbersome kinship. This is how Luca Marini, born in '97 currently in MotoGP riding the Ducati, can be summed up. A boy who, since his entry into the world of two wheels, has been looked at with a different eye by fans and insiders. A cruel but in some ways inevitable fate, for those who have a certain Valentino Rossi as an older brother.
The beginnings
Son of Stefania Palma, mother of Valentino Rossi, and Massimo Marini, he grew up in Tavullia. Thanks to his brother's example, he soon began to approach the world of minibikes. The chronicles speak of a lightning strike that occurred when he was 4 years old, being present in 2001 at Valentino's triumph in the World Championship. Marini, however, in an interview with Corriere della Sera, tells it differently: "My approach to motorcycles was gradual. I've always liked doing so many different things. The bike, however, gives me that adrenaline, those extreme sensations that I don't find elsewhere." After the first years in minibikes, in 2008 he participated in the Honda Junior Trophy winning a few races and obtaining good general results. In 2010 he competed in the Italian mini gp championship with a Honda 125cc four-stroke of Team Gresini. The following year, however, he participated in the Italian MiniGp80 championship (two-stroke motorcycles 80 cm³ displacement). This is the first victory of his career, as he takes six pole positions and six wins out of six races. obtaining the national title with two races to spare. The best possible business card for entry into the World Championship.
In the early years between Moto3 and Moto2
In 2013 Marini officially joined Valentino Rossi's Academy, together with Franco Morbidelli and Nicolò Bulega. Between 2013 and 2015 he competed in a couple of races in the World Championship (one in Moto3 and one in Moto2) as a wild card. Only a couple of appearances for the young rider born in Urbino, which however are enough to bring the Forward Racing Team to bet on him. The first two seasons in Moto2 were apprenticeships for Marini, who collected decidedly more disappointments than joys. In the 2016 World Championship he finished in twenty-third place, with only 34 points. There are 6 races ended before the time and his best result is the sixth place obtained in Germany. The following year it went a little better, with the fifteenth place finish at 59 points. In the Czech Republic he came close to the podium, but finished in fourth place. A very formative period for Marini who, in view of the 2018 World Championship, moves to his brother Valentino's SKY Racing Team VR46. A "recommended" opportunity or due to a talent that he still has to exploit in the best way? It will be the Casse '97 driver who will deny the gossip on the track.
The relationship with Valentino Rossi
Beyond the discourse related to the team, it is certainly not usual to have the best rider in the history of motorcycling as a brother. Luca spoke about the relationship with Valentino in the aforementioned interview with Corriere della Sera: "It's cool to be Vale's brother. Honor, of course. Annoyance is too strong a word, it never has been. However, we are talking about something that has conditioned my career by putting me under a magnifying glass, a different position than others. Vale has taught me a lot of lessons, especially on the use of tyres, a key issue for those who race. The quality of the relationship is the same, very high. The way we behave, in the family, never changes, we are very united".
The rise in Moto2 and the arrival in MotoGP
Moving on to the SKY Racing Team VR46, the rider from Urbino has a clear goal: to prove that he is Luca Marini and not "Valentino Rossi's brother". After an uphill start to the 2018 World Championship, he became more and more familiar with the category by conquering three consecutive podiums and then finally winning his first race in Malaysia in the penultimate round of the season. The following year, however, there were two victories (in Thailand and Japan) and the final ranking improved by one position (sixth place, compared to seventh in 2018). The third year is the good one to fight for the top. In the 2020 World Championship, shorter than usual due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Marini engaged in a duel to the death with compatriot Enea Bastianini and Briton Sam Lowes. In the end he finished second on 196 points, the same as Lowes and only 9 points away from the triumphant Bastianini. So the triumph in Moto2 did not come, but in 2021 the jump to MotoGP still materialized at the wheel of the Ducati Desmosedici of the Esponsorama Racing team. As in the previous category, Marini improves with the passing of the seasons. In the current World Cup, he made his debut on the wrong foot in Portugal but immediately made up for it with a nice third place in Argentina. The top occupied by Bagnaia is very distant, but the feeling is that already in the next World Championship the rider born in '97 can have his say in the top fight.
The years in Ducati and the move to HRC Official Team
During his years in Ducati, Luca Marini has proven to be a promising talent in the world of motorcycling. Winning the attention of the public and team executives thanks to his impressive performances, Marini showed consistency and determination, scoring crucial points and constantly improving his riding skills. In 2024, the move to Honda HRC was made official and marked an important milestone in his career, offering him the opportunity to race in a factory team and to bring his background as a test rider back to . This change represents a new challenge and an opportunity for Marini to prove its worth in the world of motorcycle racing, fueling the enthusiasm of its supporters and the curiosity of motorcycling enthusiasts. However, the situation of the Japanese company continues to not improve. Could 2025 be the year of the turning point?
