Marini becomes Tech3’s experience anchor for 2027

Luca Marini will leave Honda HRC after his third season to join Tech3 in 2027. This is more than a rider transfer: it pairs a development-minded rider with a team entering both a new technical regulation cycle and a new phase of its KTM partnership.

Tech3 has extended its agreement with the Austrian manufacturer on a multi-year basis. It will remain an extension of KTM’s factory programme, with factory-supported machinery and a role in developing the four-bike project. Marini brings experience from three different working environments: Ducati machinery at VR46, Honda’s rebuilding effort and now the future KTM. Guenther Steiner and Nicolas Goyon specifically highlighted his ability to collaborate with engineers and improve a bike through difficult periods.

That does not guarantee an immediately competitive KTM. The value lies in diagnosis and development continuity when the technical reference points are reset. Tech3 has chosen a 29-year-old who can serve as a benchmark; the next indicators will be his team-mate and how KTM divides responsibilities among its four riders.