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| Luca Marini Pushes Through Injury for Best MotoGP Result with Honda at German Grand Prix 2025. |
Luca Marini just proved that heart and hustle can beat pain. Even though he showed up to the German MotoGP at Sachsenring feeling only about 80 percent healthy, the Italian rider pulled off his best-ever result with Honda, finishing an impressive sixth.
After missing three races due to injuries he got during a Superbike event in Suzuka, Marini came back with a bang. Starting from 15th on the grid, he made a lightning-fast launch and climbed up to ninth by the end of the first lap. That early momentum gave everyone a reminder: never count Marini out, no matter the odds.
Of course, things weren’t smooth the whole way. Around the halfway point of the 30-lap race, Marini dropped back to 11th. But instead of giving in, he managed his tires wisely, stayed focused while others lost control, and climbed back into the top six by the checkered flag.
After the race, Marini was clearly pumped about what he pulled off. He said he was especially cautious at Turn 1, the spot where a bunch of other riders crashed when their front tires started giving up. He admitted that the bike still isn’t super competitive at the beginning of a race, but he made up for it with a smart strategy and smart riding.
Once he got into the rhythm around lap seven, the physical pain started creeping in. He had to slow down a bit because his left arm just didn’t have enough strength to keep pushing at full throttle. But that move actually worked in his favor. Because he wasn’t burning up his tires too early, he had more grip in the final laps, and that helped him fight back strong.
In the closing laps, Marini overtook Jack Miller from Pramac Yamaha and managed to hold off KTM’s Brad Binder. He said he really wanted to pass both of them sooner but didn’t have enough muscle in his arm to brake harder. So he waited for their rear tires to wear out, and when they did, he made his move.
Marini also believes that if he had been fully fit, his pace could have been good enough to challenge Pedro Acosta in fifth and Fabio Quartararo in fourth. He feels the team made solid progress improving the bike since Friday, but they still need to work on getting more speed in qualifying and in the early laps of the race.
Now, there’s no time to relax. The MotoGP circus heads straight to Brno for the Czech Grand Prix, and luckily, Marini already tested there recently in a private session. That could give him a bit of an edge.
As for his teammate Joan Mir, it was a rough day. He didn’t finish the race after being taken out by Ai Ogura, even though he had been running two spots behind Marini in ninth.
All in all, Marini’s ride at Sachsenring was a gritty, smart, and seriously impressive performance. Even at less than full power, he gave Honda their best finish of the season so far. If this is what he can do at 80 percent, just imagine what’s coming when he’s fully back.