MotoGP: “Dream come true” for Luca Marini as Repsol Honda unveils a new look

The Repsol Honda Team unveiled their 2024 MotoGP challenger at the launch in Barcelona.

Joan Mir and Luca Marini have unveiled the 2024 Repsol Honda with a brand-new look for the RC213V machine. The launch took place at the Warner Music Station in Madrid and celebrated a 30-year collaboration between HRC and Repsol.

It is Joan Mir’s second season with Repsol Honda, joining the team at the end of 2022 after the unexpected departure of Suzuki. His first season with the team did to plan – finishing five races in 2023. It was his worst season in Grand Prix racing, finishing 22^nd in the standings.

Luca Marini announced that he would be joining Repsol Honda in 2024, just days before the Valencia Test. He will be moving from the Mooney VR46 Racing Team, where he was spent multiple years riding a Ducati.

So far in preseason testing, positive signs have shown at the Official Sepang Test with Honda’s times significantly improving from last year. On the final day of testing, Joan Mir finished in 10^th position – 1.419 seconds quicker than his 2023 test time. Luca Marini was 19^th in the test, less than one second behind Mir.

Speaking at the launch, Luca Marini said: “For me it is an honour to join the Repsol Honda Team, when I was a young child, I already had some leathers in their colours for racing minibikes. Now to be here, at the launch, in the leathers and with the bike – it is a dream come true, something from destiny.”

Luca Marini’s half-brother, Valentino Rossi previously raced for Repsol Honda at the beginning of the MotoGP era. He will be hoping to copy his half-brother’s success, with Rossi winning two consecutive titles with Repsol Honda.

The bike looks completely different to last year, with the Repsol brand taking up less space on the bike. Instead, it is the Honda logo with the corporate HRC red and blue on the upper half. There is also no Red Bull sponsorship this year, with GASGAS gaining Red Bull as their main sponsor in 2024.

He added: “This bike looks really beautiful, the colours are something very new and I am proud to represent them. We are just at the start of our journey together, but I already feel a part of the team and well supported by the engineers. I’ve ridden just six days on the bike, so we are looking to make the most of the last test and begin the year in the best way possible.”

Image credit: Repsol Honda Team