Should Ducati’s new Desmosedici GP22 bike live up to 🀅the hype🔜, then second-year MotoGP rider Luca Marini will be among those very happy. 

The Mooney VR46 Ducati rider, like Jack Miller did following d🌼ay-one of the Sepang MotoGP test, has stated that the GP22 package has huge potential, but that the already fully developed 21♍ bike would be best to start the season with. 

Unlike most of the gri🤪d, Marini was playing catch-up throughout the second day after missing more than half of yesterday’s r💫unning due to issues with both machines. 

And ♍although the former Moto2 rider ran out of time to do a time atta💖ck, the 24 year-old was very pleased with his day after both bikes were fully repaired. 

Marini added: "Well, this sℱecond day at Sepang was really positive I think, and nice. Unfortunately, like I said yesterday we could not reach a very good base because of the problems that we had.

"But first of all I’m happy that we solved everything today and both bikes were perfect. I think th꧒at we need to be very happy. I was very qu🐲ick from the start. 

"Exciting from pit lane ther🎶e was a really nice feeling and I improved a lot on my lap time. I think that for jusꦺt the second day here in Malaysia my lap times were really good. 

"We just tried to work a little bit on the setting and a few other things. Unfortunately in the afternoon we could not do a qualifying simulation like every rider did. We would haꦺve tried for sure, so we don’t yet know our real potential. 

"This is not the imporওtant thing right now. I’m really happy to find a good feeling for today. 

"For sure we need to ไwork because everything is new. Also we tried to do so🍎me laps in wet conditions because it’s important to do as many laps on the new bike as possible."

Marini, who ♔contested his rookie 2019 season on the GP19 bikꦍe, tested the 2021 Desmosedici in Jerez at the end last year, before moving onto the GP22 at this weekend’s first pre-season test.  

Talking about the differences between the 21/22 bikes and that of the 19, Marini said: "For 𓄧sure between the 21 and 22 they are verཧy similar. I tried on different tracks so it is impossible to understand very well. 

"In Jerez we had a lot of grip so the bik♔e was easier to ride. My ꦐfeeling with the 21 in Jerez was very good. 

"Here in Sepang I struggled a lot, especially with the rear grip and braking so it wa﷽s not easy to fix it. But in the end I think we found a good way. We can proceed like this in Mandalika and we will see if the feeling will be better or worse." 

After finishing the day in 11th place, +0.299s behind former team-mate Enea Bastianini, Marini said he wasn’t alone in suffering rear grip issues with the new package as factory riders Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller encountered the ♑same. 

"In general, the 21 and 22 are better than the 19 in all areas," Marini pointꦺed out. "I struggled a lot in the last year (2021 season). For example, the turning pඣhase and the grip on exit, but now the bike is easier to stop. 

"Between the 21 and 22 I cannot tell you something really clearly. I struggled a lot with the rear grip and I know tha🐻t Pecco [Bagnaia] and Jack [Miller] also struggled a lot with the rear grip. 

"But I don’t think Ducati changed anything that could cause this pr𓂃oblem. I think the potential of the new bike is for sure very high. We just need to understand and prepare everything well for the championship. 

"I think in the first races the 21 can be stronger because they won a lot of🌳 races with that bike. I suppose from the beginning it can be one of the fastest bikes on the grid, but the 22 has a bigger potential. Both bikes are very strong so I think Ducati is doing a🍷 really nice job."