MOTORGP: TECH3 KTM CONFIRM LUCA MARINI SIGNING FOR 2027 SEASON

 

Luca Marini will swap red for orange in MotoGP next season

Luca Marini will join Tech3 KTM for the 2027 MotoGP season after spending the last three years with Honda.

The Italian has played an integral role in Honda’s MotoGP project since he joined them in 2024, proving to be a valuable asset on the technical development of the RC213V, whilst being a trustworthy, consistent rider on the track.

Marini takes the spot vacated by Enea Bastianini, who confirmed earlier this week that he would be racing for Trackhouse Aprilia next year alongside Raul Fernandez.

Luca Marini onboard the Honda RC213V during the 2026 MotoGP season

“Luca is a rider we have been watching closely, and we are very pleased to welcome him to Tech3 from 2027,” team CEO Guenther Steiner said. “He brings a huge amount of experience, but also the right mentality and approach for what we are building here.

“2027 will be a big reset for MotoGP, so having a rider who can contribute to our progress in this new era will be important.”

2027 will be Marini’s seventh season in the premier class. The 29-year-old spent the first half of his MotoGP career with Ducati power, first via an Esponsorama Ducati partnership with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team, and then as a full VR46 Ducati rider once Rossi’s team made the move to the premier class on a full-scale basis.

Marini celebrated his maiden podium at the Circuit of the Americas in 2023, before going on to secure Sprint podiums later that year in Indonesia and Thailand. Marini also broke the lap record in Indonesia to take his first pole.

More success followed in 2023 when Marini secured pole position in Qatar and followed this up with a Sprint and GP podium at the Lusail International Circuit.

Advice from The Doctor and brother, Valentino Rossi for Luca Marini

Given his success in 2023, it came as a surprise to many that Marini chose to depart not only Ducati, but his brother’s team in favour of the struggling factory Honda team.

Whilst there have been no podiums during his time with HRC, Marini’s results have continued to improve as the bike becomes more competitive.

“We are very happy to have Luca joining us from 2027,” Tech3 KTM team manager, Nicolas Goyon said. “He has already shown his ability to perform at the highest level, and his experience in MotoGP will be extremely valuable as we enter this new chapter.

“He has a strong understanding of what is required from both the rider and technical side, and we are confident that he will be an important part of our progress with KTM. We are looking forward to working with him and seeing what we can achieve together.”

Marini is expected to be joined inside the Tech3 KTM garage by current Moto2 frontrunner Senna Agius.

- Josh Close

ANOTHER PAINFUL MARQUEZ FAA

A second painful fall of the day for Marc Marquez rounded off a twice red-flagged and incredibly crash-strewn second Assen MotoGP practice session.

Marquez had recovered from an initial fall to go fastest in the morning, and then while on a potential session-topping afternoon lap he lost his Ducati's front end going into the fast Ruskenhoek left-hander and slid at high speed across the gravel.

This is what happened at Turn 7! @marcmarquez93 😱#DutchGP 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/XAAl1uxwko

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) June 27, 2025

He initially stood up before immediately crouching back down in the gravel trap, seemingly in pain in his groin area, and needing assistance away from the scene - though he was walking unaided, if somewhat gingerly, when he got back to the Ducati pit. From there he headed to the medical centre for a check-up.

Advancing to Q2: Quartararo, A Marquez, Acosta, Bezzecchi, Bagnaia, M Marquez, Di Giannantonio, Vinales, Morbidelli, Zarco

Will contest Q1: Fernandez, Aldeguer, Rins, Oliveira, Bastianini, Miller, Mir, Binder, Savadori, Ogura, Chantra, Espargaro

That was one of nine high-speed crashes during the session, as rider after rider appeared to misjudge the grip available from the front tyre in particular.

Six of the crashes happened in the first seven minutes of the session.

Alex Marquez started the run of falls and was quickly followed by Gresini Ducati team-mate Fermin Aldeguer, LCR Honda's Johann Zarco, VR46 Ducati's Franco Morbidelli, Tech3 KTM rider Enea Bastianini and Honda's stand-in rider Aleix Espargaro.

The Aldeguer, Zarco and Morbidelli shunts happened virtually simultaneously, all at different parts of the track, with Morbidelli's the most destructive as his Ducati tumbled end over end across the grass without him.

None of those caused a red flag, but Ai Ogura and Lorenzo Savadori's later crashes both did.

Ogura had a ferocious highside into the Duikersloot right-hander in which his Trackhouse Aprilia burst into flames as it bounced across the asphalt. Savadori's Stekkenwal shunt ended with his wrecked Aprilia sat in the middle of the circuit. Both riders appeared unhurt.

Between stoppages and yellow flags, Fabio Quartararo popped in with the fastest time at the end of a session in which all five manufacturers got a bike directly into Q2.

Quartararo's 1m31.156s for Yamaha was 0.102s clear of Alex Marquez, with Pedro Acosta jumping to third for KTM late on and Assen specialist Marco Bezzecchi's Aprilia fastest for a spell before ending up fourth.

Marc Marquez held on for sixth despite his fall, just behind Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, Maverick Vinales, Morbidelli and Zarco completed the automatic Q2 pack.

Raul Fernandez was bumped down to 11th in the final seconds, while Alex Rins looked like he might get his Yamaha straight through to Q2 via a massive tow from Bagnaia before being edged down the order.

- Matt Beer