In recent years, more and more MotoGP riders have tried their hand at four-wheel racing, most famously with Valentino Rossi’s attempts at endurance races, rallies and even an F1 test for Ferrari.
This trend has only continued in recent years and while there is little to nothing to gain in their MotoGP careers, it offers riders a fun off-season challenge.
VR46 Ducati MotoGP rider Luca Marini believes there is “zero that helps in MotoGP” as he prepares for this weekend in a GT3 car alongside former team manager Uccio Salucci and former GP3 racer , who has become regular GT player David Fumanelli, to take part in the 12-hour golf races.
But Marini still believes it will be “a great experience” and also explains how it is easier to get from racing bike to car than from racing car to bike.
“Of course there is less pressure – but it’s a different kind of pressure,” he explained. “It’s a different experience, but a great experience. I’m really happy to be part of this race, with this equipment, with this team. I also want to be quick in the cars so I can do other races if my calendar allows me to do so.
“It’s easier with the cars. Getting to two seconds from the front runners isn’t easy, but you can do it. But when you have to be among the fastest to find the last one or a second and a half, it’s difficult. As with motorcycles, it’s hard to get into Moto2 and take two seconds off the men in front. It’s easier in a car – you just sit down, you don’t have to move, just play with the gas, the brakes, the steering wheel.
“And what changes most for us is the risk, the danger level. And with a bike you have to have a lot of confidence before you push, but with a car you can push right from the start. Everything feels safer and that changes a lot. “
Marini was originally supposed to compete at the event at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi along with half-brother and MotoGP boss Valentino Rossi, but that plan failed when the nine-time world champion was forced to isolate himself at home after arriving in Italy to a person suffering from COVID-19.
That leaves the task of racing at the event the trio won in the Pro-Am class last year to Marini, Salucci and late replacement Fumanelli.
“That might be a good thing for concentration, because when you have to push and set the lap time, you have to be just as precise as on the motorcycle,” added the 24-year-old. “But it’s completely different, nothing really like it.”
But while it might not necessarily make him faster on a Desmosedici, he says it’s still worth putting in the effort it takes to drive the Kessel Racing Ferrari there, both for the fun they have as well as because of the competition that is there.
And while Rossi may not be part of the team right now, Marini should be confident that they can still be competitive, especially after a successful one-day test outing just before the end of the MotoGP season in November.
“We didn’t drive that much because it rained all morning,” he explains about her trip to Misano, “and that doesn’t make sense with the rain tires. We are planning to do the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi and it is very difficult to rain there. But we did the test to remember the feelings in the car and to understand if there were any changes compared to the car we had last year.
“It was a very positive day, especially for Uccio, driving the car again and getting back to the pace a driver needs to be. He’s been away from racing for many months, so it’s not that easy for him. But especially in the wet conditions, he was very fast.
“In the last part of the day the track dried up and we put on the slick tires and the lap time wasn’t as fast as always. We were a little slower, just to avoid taking any risks before the next race. “