Luca Marini signs one-year MotoGP contract extension with VR46

Luca Marini has re-signed with the VR46 Racing Team for the 2024 MotoGP World Championship.

The Italian has had an up-and-down 2023 so far, with the successes of his Argentinian Sprint podium and Americas Grand Prix podium offset somewhat by ongoing struggles with rear grip which were most recently apparent at the recent Catalan Grand Prix.

Marini, though, has announced his continuation with the VR46 Racing Team for the 2024 MotoGP season on the eve of the San Marino Grand Prix which takes place this weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

Marini’s announcement is unsurprising, partly because of his relationship with the team owner, Marini’s brother Valentino Rossi, partly because of the competitiveness of the package VR46 and its partnership Ducati can provide Marini; and partly because of the relatively limited options for Marini outside of VR46 in 2024.

Those limited options are also part of why Marini has signed a one-year extension on his VR46 deal, because he wants to be better-aligned with the other riders in MotoGP, most of whom have their deals expiring at the end of 2024.

Marini’s deal also confirms an unchanged line-up for the 2024 MotoGP season at VR46, after the confirmation of Marco Bezzecchi’s continuation with the team before last weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix.

Elsewhere in Ducati, things are less certain. Although Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia will remain put in the factory team, Jorge Martin will stay at Pramac, and Alex Marquez has confirmed his continuation at Gresini, the identity of the teammates of both Martin and Marquez remain uncertain. Marc Marquez is rumoured to be on his way to partner his brother at Gresini next year, and Franco Morbidelli - having been dropped by Yamaha - seems the favourite to join Martin at Pramac.

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