Luca Marini has hailed Honda’s rise to Group C concessions as “fantastic” after he did just enough in the Valencia Grand Prix season finale to seal the achievement.
The Italian delivered the seventh place Honda required despite what he described as a “nightmare” start to the Valencia GP weekend.
Not only did the Hondas battle for pace early in the weekend and in qualifying, but the sprint race turned into a disaster when Marini’s team-mate Joan Mir punted both riders out on the second lap.
With Mir facing a long lap penalty for the grand prix as a result of that move, the pressure was on Marini or LCR rider Johann Zarco to earn the coveted seventh place that would lift Honda out of Group D.
But when Zarco got a long lap penalty of his own for taking out Francesco Bagnaia on the first lap, Marini effectively carried all of Honda’s hopes.
He spent much of the race running eighth, behind the likes of Jack Miller and Fermin Aldeguer, but holding position as he managed his tyre pressure and wear. He finally claimed the seventh spot he needed from Miller as they crossed the line to start lap 22 of 27.
As far as Marini was concerned, it wasn’t as tight as it looked.
“In the past [few] days I said that it was possible. I knew it,” he said.
Luca Marini, Honda HRC
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
“[Getting out of concessions] was the target since the beginning of the season and it’s fantastic [for me] to achieve it at the end in the last race. I’m really, really happy and I saw all the people in the garage were super happy.”
He underlined how Honda had struggled on the unusually low-grip surface Valencia offered in 2025. Particularly early in the weekend, on the soft rear tyre used in qualifying and for the sprint.
“Yeah, it was really a nightmare at the beginning of this weekend, but especially with the soft rear,” explained Marini. “I said, ‘Guys, the medium is the correct tyre for our bike or for the tarmac, I don’t know [which]. But with the soft, I cannot go. I cannot feel the tyre working well.’
“I was pretty comfortable that [the medium] was a good tyre for me, for us. And in fact, with our bike, it worked very well [in the grand prix].
“From lap one, I needed to manage a lot with the throttle, because we knew that getting to the end of the race would be difficult for everybody. And it worked. I’m really happy, also because my crew did a fantastic job. And they improved the bike a lot during the weekend.
“We changed many things, because when you are struggling, you need to change. And at the end, I arrived in the race with the best compromise.”
Luca Marini, Honda HRC
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Marini was also keen to emphasise the benefits a reduction in testing opportunities would bring in terms of workload for the entire team, given the 22-race calendar.
“It’s fantastic that we achieved this target for [its own sake], but also for the people that now can have a little bit more time at home with their family.”
For his part, Mir denied that he was relieved by Marini delivering the goods following the Saturday incident. But he was equally happy with the outcome.
“I think it’s more a symbolic thing to say that we achieved something great this year,” said the 2020 world champion. “It’s an achievement and that’s it.”
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