Luca Marini replaces former MotoGP champion Marc Marquez at Honda on two-year deal
Valentino Rossi's half-brother Luca Marini (26) will replace Marc Marquez (30) at the factory Honda MotoGP team next season, the Japanese manufacturer announced on Monday.
Six-time MotoGP world champion Marquez has joined his brother Alex at Ducati satellite team Gresini Racing.
"Honda Racing Corporation are pleased to announce the signing of Luca Marini for the 2024 and 2025 MotoGP World Championship seasons," Honda said in a statement.
Italian Marini has been racing for Rossi's VR46 Ducati team since 2021. He was runner-up in the Moto2 championship in 2020.
He will partner Spaniard Joan Mir (26), the 2020 MotoGP champion with Suzuki, at the Repsol Honda team.
Nine-time world champion Rossi, now retired, won three of his seven titles in the top category with Honda from 2001-03.