The world of MotoGP has been missing one of its biggest superstars, Valentino Rossi, since his retirement in 2021. MotoGP is at “the beginning of a new era” without its most popular personality, Valentino Rossi, but will rebuild with young stars, says Luca Marini.
Despite this, Luca Marini, Rossi’s half-brother and a rider for VR46 Racing, believes that the future of MotoGP is bright with the emergence of new and exciting talent.
The first season without Rossi saw Francesco Bagnaia win his maiden premier class championship and he will be racing alongside Enea Bastianini next season, two young and talented Italian riders representing Italy’s largest brand.
Marini believes that this is the beginning of a new era for Italian riders but acknowledges that Rossi’s departure left a gap in the sport’s popularity.
Marini’s belief
Joan Mir, the 2020 champion, and Jorge Martin are among the new contenders who will challenge the established riders. Marini also believes that the return of Marc Marquez, who has been sidelined by physical issues, will bring back excitement to the sport.
The level of competition in MotoGP is extremely high, with the best riders, tires, and bikes in the world.
Marini believes that it’s impossible to make mistakes when everything works perfectly, and that the show in MotoGP is good, though it may have been more spectacular in the past when only a few riders were competing for the top spots.
Marini believes that it takes time to build a fanbase and character in MotoGP, but with more Italian riders competing and winning, the excitement will return to the grandstands both in Italy and worldwide. He predicts that in a few years’ time, the stands will be filled.
The Level of Competition
Marini acknowledges that fans were passionate about MotoGP due to the presence of strong and charismatic riders like Rossi.
Despite having good personalities currently, he believes that the young riders in MotoGP are still inexperienced and need more time to build their own character.
Luca Marini believes that the future of MotoGP is bright, with the emergence of new talent and the potential return of Marc Marquez.
He feels that the level of competition in the sport is extremely high, and that it just takes time for the riders to establish themselves and reach the hearts of fans. The show in MotoGP is good, and Marini believes that in a few years’ time, the stands will be filled again.