Luca Marini for Ruik: What is it like to work with Valentino Rossi? The half-brother of a MotoGP legend describes a special relationship

In an exclusive interview with Ruik, Luca Marini, half-brother of Valentino Rossi, talked about how he works with the MotoGP legend, gave us an insight into his career so far and revealed what is most important to him as a rider.

The 25-year-old Italian rider only made the jump to MotoGP royalty last year, having spent six seasons in the Moto2 championship. However, Marini has never won a championship in this category, with his greatest achievement being a second place in the 2020 season. So how does he assess his career so far?

“I think I’ve had a good career so far and I’m quite satisfied. Of course there were things I could have done better, but it was never easy for me because I started straight from the Moto2 championship, ” Marini explained in an interview with selected media, including Ruik.

“Honestly, I would like to go through the Moto3 class because I think it’s a very good category. I think it will give the pilots a lot of experience. But I skipped this category because I was too big for it and for that reason it was impossible for me to race here. So I went straight to Moto2, where everything was better and easier for me.

But the beginning of my career was not easy for me. I worked with people who were very nice and even working with them was very good. But unfortunately it wasn’t an official team (Forward Racing Team). So I gained some experience there and then moved to Sky Racing Team VR46, with whom we achieved some amazing things. I grew a lot there and I think the 2020 season was very good for me. And apart from the events towards the end of the year, I was happy,” Marini says of his career.

The influence of Valentino Rossi

Marini currently races for the Mooney VR46 Racing Team and as the name suggests, it is the team of the Italian MotoGP legend. During the interview, Marini admits that working with Rossi is simply something that must help any rider.

On the one hand, it is something of a burden for Marini to follow a considerable family success in MotoGP. Indeed, whether he wants to or not, he is often compared to Rossi in terms of on-track performance and riding style.

On the other hand, it’s a great reference for Marini. So how did he answer the question about Rossi’s influence?

“Of course it’s difficult because it’s one of the topics that is discussed. But I’ve learned to work with it. It’s just an honour, an opportunity taken, a chance to talk to him in a way that other riders can’t, because we can go much deeper into everything,” Marini admits.

“It’s fantastic to share those feelings with him, to have feedback on the tyres, the track or the rivals. In terms of advice, it’s really something amazing. You can talk about these topics with other drivers, but my brother always gives you something more.

Especially when I started racing in the World Championship. He watched me a lot, especially in my early years. And that was great because it was all very new to me. If he gives me some advice, I have to be good enough to use it. It’s one thing to say something and another to implement it. And that is sometimes very difficult,” he said.

Marini is a truly versatile athlete

The Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider has tried many sports in his life and admitted that when he was a kid he never thought he would become a MotoGP rider. He said he simply tried to enjoy every moment and do his job, or rather his hobby, to the best of his ability.

“When I was a kid, I never thought I would become a MotoGP rider. I tried to enjoy every moment, to enjoy what I love. Thanks to my parents, I’ve been through a lot of sports – football, skiing, snowboarding, I’ve really tried a lot of things. I always just wanted to feel good, to feel the right emotions,” Marini recalls of his childhood and adolescence.

“So what I want to do now is to continue doing exactly that. I had similar feelings in motocross, but when I started racing in the World Championship, that was it for me. The level is higher here, the pressure is higher and there’s a lot more you have to sacrifice. But then the reward for that effort is so much greater. That’s my motivation and I’ve never felt anywhere like I do on a bike,” the Urbino native is clear.

Future plans, daily rituals

Fellow Greek Panos Seitanidis of Gazzetta.gr then raised the question during the interview of what a MotoGP rider, in this case Marini, actually needs to do every day to continue to improve.

“I just try to work with my team. First of all, we try to come up with a good plan before we start training. And every day we try to prepare for the next one in the best possible way. On the personal side, I try to stay in good physical shape and I think we’re in very good shape this year. Exactly what they need from me.

I try to look at all the previous races or training sessions to get a better understanding of the ideal tracks. I try to work on all the details and that is what determines the final difference,” describes Marini.

He also revealed something about his plans and dreams for the future. According to Marini, what is the key to having a long and successful career?

“On the bike I feel like being myself and I try to enjoy every moment and be happier and happier. I like to stay in the paddock, in contact with the team, and this is what keeps convincing me of my love for MotoGP. And it’s important to continue in this direction. I think this is the key to having a good and long career.

My dream for now is to win a race. I think winning a Grand Prix is an incredible feeling because in that particular race you are number 1. Number 1 in the whole world,” he concluded.

Source: MotoGP