Marini drawing inspiration from Hamilton, ‘don’t stop improving’

Luca Marini is set to embark on his second season in MotoGP as VR46 brakes cover with its Mooney-sponsored new team.

His first year on factory Ducati machinery awaits and Marini is excited to get 2022 started after a difficult debut.

“The bike this year is fantastic,” Marini exclaimed, speaking after the official Mooney VR46 launch. “Is very strong from the start, I think, of the season.

“For sure with the 2022 we need to work a little bit but after some races it will be at the top. So I’m excited for that.

“My riding style is improved a lot compared to last year,” he continued, reflecting on his evolution inside the premier class after a season on the 2019 Desmosedici. “I tried to change it a little bit and improve my weakness and I think that I can say that now I’m really stronger compared to last year.

“In the test in Indonesia I was able to improve a lot, also in the race simulation I understood better the feeling with the front tyre during the long race distance because it changes a lot when you stay in the slipstream of other riders. The pressure go very, very high and it’s difficult to ride the bike in that situation. Last year I remember that I struggled a lot in this specific case, but now I feel that I’m ready for all the situations that happen in the race, that is every time more difficult with respect to all the other practice. So I’m quite satisfied from my level now but for sure I can grow even more and the bike also can grow a lot.

“I think it was just worse, everything was more difficult,” he said of his two-year-old Ducati. “It was everything more stressful because with the technical package that is not at the level, you stress yourself more for try to do something more.

“This was a problem from last