Luca Marini suffered a horror shunt in testing for the Suzuka 8 Hours which left him in intensive care and with some big injuries to recover from.
Similar to Jorge Martin, he suffered a pneumothorax (collapsed lung), which will take him a while to recover from. Now, Marini has been permitted to travel home to Italy and jumped onto the first available flight after being cleared by the relevant medical personnel.
Honda will be without his services until beyond the summer break, and it doesn’t do his chances of remaining in the sport much good.
The MotoGP rider market is in full swing for 2026, and Marini’s expiring Honda contract is a topic of interest. His seat is at risk.
Honda could replace the injured Marini with an experienced rider following the upcoming round at Mugello, which was meant to be his home race. For now, they will rely on the services of Takaaki Nakagami.
After much deliberation, Honda could sign Martin and it was reported that they might have offered him a three-year deal, leaving Marini stranded. There’s a chance he still gets a ride at LCR, depending on what happens with Somkiat Chantra.
READ MORE: Luca Marini’s plan for his MotoGP future has ‘completely changed’ after Honda rider’s Suzuka crash
Luca Marini wants to ‘return’ to Honda as soon as possible during the 2025 MotoGP season
Martin sent Marini a message and wished his rival well after his Suzuka crash. It may have ended up being the very thing that ends his time with Honda’s factory team.
The summer break will come at a good time for the Italian rider and offers him an extra few weeks to get back up to pace.
Now, Marini has revealed when he is aiming to return to action, less than three weeks on from a crash which left a severe mark on him.
“It’s still tough, yes. Several things still hurt, it was a very hard blow, the worst accident of my career, certainly one of those you never forget,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“Look, honestly, even now, with other tests at home and with the doctors in Italy, you can understand what the real situation is and when I can return, but we are doing everything we can to return as soon as possible. I’ve been calm from the beginning.
“I was always conscious and lucid about what happened. I couldn’t grasp the gravity of the situation at first, but I always had the goal of returning as soon as possible, when my body allows me.”
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How has Luca Marini performed during the 2025 MotoGP season?
2025 is Marini’s second season with Honda, and in his first, his best result was 12th. Their bike was absolutely nowhere.
This year, he had finished 12th or higher in each of the first six races before a 15th at Silverstone. It’s a marked improvement for rider and team.
And yet, somehow, it still may not be enough to save his ride. Fortunately, there are still 14 rounds of the MotoGP season to go.
When he returns, he might just about still have enough time to prove himself and show Honda that he is the man for the future.
