Luca Marini spills the truth on his negotiations with Repsol Honda

The Mooney VR46 rider was among several options to replace Marc Marquez on the only vacant bike in the 2024 MotoGP rider line-up.

He met Alberto Puig, the Repsol Honda team manager, for talks about a move but it ultimately came to nothing.

"The situation is complicated,” Marini said at the Malaysian MotoGP. 

“It all happened very late given that Marc announced his farewell in October.

"I'm very pleased to be taken into consideration by Alberto Puig, it means that I'm working well and I'm demonstrating my potential.

“It's my dream, my goal, to go to a factory team and try to develop the bike to take it to victory.

“But there has to be a right situation and at the moment, having a contract, it's complicated."

Marini added: “The most important thing is to finish these three races in the best possible way and then focus on the future.

“I feel very good with the team, we are going strong and we are improving. 

“There is still something missing, but I am sure that next year, continuing like this, we can achieve great goals.”

Marini’s teammate Marco Bezzecchi also rejected the chance to leave the VR46 team, choosing to stay rather than receive a more updated bike at Pramac Ducati.

The VR46 team has enjoyed a breakthrough season in MotoGP, in contrast to giants Honda who have underwhelmed.

And Honda’s search for a replacement for Marquez is ongoing at an incredibly late stage of the year.