LUCA MARINI SAYS HONDA SHOULD BACK DIOGO MOREIRA FOR QUARTARARO’S 2027 TEAMMATE SPOT

With Honda continuing to weigh up who should join Fabio Quartararo in the factory team for 2027, Luca Marini says the decision is clearer than it may appear. The Italian, who has already confirmed his move to Tech3 for next season, was asked during Thursday media duties ahead of this weekend’s Aragon Grand Prix about which of Honda’s two leading options—Diogo Moreira or David Alonso—should be paired with Quartararo.

Marini acknowledged that both riders are highly regarded, telling Diario AS: “Well, as far as I’m concerned, they’re both brilliant.” He added that Moreira is currently the one he can speak about directly because they are competing against each other: “Good riders, very talented. And Diogo is doing really well; he rides well, so I can only tell you about him because I’m competing against him at the moment.”

On the question of Alonso, Marini said the raw pace is difficult to judge at this stage because Alonso is yet to begin his MotoGP career: “David might be faster, but we don’t know.” Even so, Marini stressed that both riders have the potential for long MotoGP careers, pointing to their talent and results: “Both will be in MotoGP for a long time because they’re hugely talented, incredibly fast, and they prove it on the track with their results.”

Despite that balanced opening, Marini believes Honda’s choice should ultimately come down to what Moreira has already demonstrated in the premier class. He said he has compared his own information with Moreira’s during the Brazilian’s rookie campaign and concluded that the data supports Moreira’s readiness: “I think what I can say is that Diogo is doing very well.” Marini continued: “He rides well and the data suggests he’s doing everything right. So, for the moment, he’s doing everything right in MotoGP. Why not him?”

The backdrop to the debate is that Moreira is currently a rookie in MotoGP, while Alonso is set for his maiden season in the class next year. Alonso has also made clear that he does not care which Honda team he is placed with, because he is already signed to a factory deal—meaning the team assignment is described as a formality. Against that context, Marini’s message to Honda is straightforward: if the factory seat is about rewarding proven MotoGP performance, he believes Moreira is the obvious pick.