MARINI FACES FITNESS UNCERTAINTY AHEAD OF AUSTRALIAN GP

Luca Marini arrived at Phillip Island feeling unwell, leaving Honda with uncertainty over whether its sole available factory rider would be fit to race the Australian Grand Prix. Joan Mir is already missing his fourth consecutive round after sitting out Austria, Japan and Indonesia through illness. Honda test rider Aleix Espargaro is also unavailable, as he is due to undergo surgery in Barcelona for chronic arm-pump syndrome.

Marini said he had been sick at home and developed a fever during the flight to Australia. The fever has since passed, but he is suffering from severe muscle pain. “I’ve never had anything like this in my life,” he said, describing his condition as “really strange.” He planned to visit the circuit’s medical centre for an examination, explaining that he had not been able to see a doctor in Italy before travelling. “At the moment, I can’t judge my physical condition,” he said. If he does not improve quickly, his participation in the weekend could be in doubt.

The forecast adds another challenge, with wind, cold and possible rain expected on Saturday and Sunday. Marini called it “a typical Phillip Island weekend,” but said the conditions can make the circuit especially demanding. In sunshine and comfortable temperatures, he considers it perhaps the most beautiful track in the world; when the weather turns, “it’s really, really hard.”

This is set to be the final Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island before the event moves to Adelaide in 2027. Marini praised the circuit’s history and the racing it has produced, recalling one particularly memorable edition around 2017 or 2018. “In some years it was perhaps the best race of the year,” he said, adding that he hopes Adelaide will be even better.

He also has a personal reason to want a strong result: Phillip Island’s distinctive trophies. Marini has never finished on the podium there, despite dreaming of winning one. “Let’s try this year in the wet,” he said with a smile. If that does not happen, he hopes Adelaide will offer another memorable prize. For him, the trophy is “a piece of history with a unique style” that can only be won at the circuit—and one that matters to riders.