MotoGP, Marini: “A catastrophic race, I felt like I was on ice”

Luca Marini finished his first home GP in MotoGP in 17th and last place. The Sky VR46 team rider complained about the problems with the rear tire. A complicated race on an already dramatic day.

“It was a disastrous race“, That’s how Luca described his day. “I wasn’t expecting that as I drove a second faster for the rest of the weekend. The track could have gotten worse today because it rained last night. The handle was strange. I struggled with the rear tire too much in the race, especially in corners. I couldn’t brake hard. From the first to the last lap I couldn’t hold myself straight. I felt like I was on hold. I kind of know what the problem is. You can’t have that kind of race. I’m sure it wasn’t our fault. “

Do you think the news of Dupasquier’s death touched you emotionally before you got on the trail?
“The moment we got the news, just before the Moto2 race started, it was very difficult. I felt an emptiness in my stomach, heavy legs, a strange feeling. We are riders. By the time we got to the grid and it was time to race, a couple of hours had passed, so I had time to deal with that. You concentrate on the work to be done and manage to eliminate these thoughts. “

If you had been asked whether you wanted to race or not, what would you have answered?
“A really tough question. I don’t know, I think the moment you would have asked me would have been crucial. As soon as you hear news like this, you are quite shocked. It would not have been easy to get the opinions of all the drivers together. It is right that the organizer makes this decision. It is a question that I cannot answer. It wouldn’t have been easy. I would have had to experience this situation in order to be able to decide. “

Do you think you will adapt well to the Barcelona circuit?
“I have no idea. It will depend a lot on the tires they propose to us. Barcelona is a complicated track for grip. We have to find the right set-up to be able to lift and accelerate the bike well when exiting a corner. Ducati has always done well there, apart from last year. Difficult to make predictions. It changes a lot every year. “