And intriguingly Ma𝓡rini replaces🦂 Marc Marquez, Rossi’s eternal foe.

Honda’s quest to find a new rider for the 2024 MotoGP⛄ season took them up and down the paddock, and even into Moto2, before a late decision to plump for Marini.

Valentino Rossi Luca Marini

20 years later, he rides for Honda in Valencia.

— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp)

"Luca was a shock for us,” Rossi admitted to .

“We didn't expe🗹ct it. I'm very sorry, it was nice to see hi𒈔m get to the front and be a protagonist with my team and with our bikes. 

“But he had thi🍰s opportunity of the free Honda seat, of the official Honda, with a two-year contract. 

“I'm a big fan of his a♑nd I will help him as much as possible. 

“It's a tough choice and then Honda is Honda, for us who are of a 🌳certain age…”

Honda were initially only offering one-year deals to replace M🍨arque🍸z but reversed this policy to pin Marini down.

Next year they stand to benefit from new concessions rul💖es, and have also made major behind-the-scenes changes to their technical team in a bid to return to the top of MotoGP.

"They and Yamaha have ꦆunderstood that they cannot afford to suffer so much, especially from Ducati,” Rossi said. 

“They h꧃ave understood that they have to go up a gear. 

“Then next year the Japanese manufacturers will have help, and Marini is a very good tesไt rജider, we'll see.”

Rossi won three world championships with Honda꧟ before switching to Yamaha, where he enjoyed his heyd♒ay.

His VR🌜46 team moved swiftly to sign Fabio di Giannantonio, who shone at the end of this season, to replace Marini alongside Marco Bezzecchi for 2024.