P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Luca Marini says he is unlikely to join fellow Honda MotoGP rider Johann Zarco at this year’s Suzuka 8 Hours.
Luca Marini does not anticipate participating in the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours event, even though Johann Zarco, his Honda MotoGP colleague, has confirmed his return.
Marini had to skip last year’s factory HRC line-up alongside Zarco and Takumi Takahashi due to a severe testing crash that also caused him to miss three MotoGP rounds.
Despite his positive experience at Suzuka last year, Marini realized the challenge of finding a suitable bike setup for riders of varying heights.
Due to his 1.84m height, which is close to Toprak Razgatlioglu’s, Marini prefers teammates of similar stature for endurance races to ensure a comfortable bike setup.
Considering the importance of confidence during hour-long stints on the bike, Marini stresses the necessity of having teammates with similar body sizes.
With Marini and his replacement Xavi Vierge opting out of the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours, Zarco and Takahashi clinched Honda’s 31st victory as a two-rider team.
For this year’s event, Zarco and Takahashi are likely to team up with Jonathan Rea, a six-time WorldSBK champion, in a race scheduled between MotoGP rounds at Assen and Sachsenring, rather than during the summer break.
