Luca Marini believes 🐭Honda “made more improvements than Yamaꦬha” to its MotoGP bike in 2024, but its rival “started from a much higher point”.

The 2024 season was difficult for both Japanese manufacturers, with neither breaching the podium a🌞cross the 20-round campaig﷽n.

Yamaha finished 49 points clear of Honda in the constructors’ standings, with Fabio Quartararo the leading Japanese manufacturer representative 58 po𝓀ints clear of LCR’s Johann Zarco.

Both manufacturers♐ made tangible improvements during the season, with Marini convinced Honda made more.

But the fact it was “always a ꦕstep behind” Yamaha masked this.

“We were always a step behind, b🐓ecause they started from a much higher point than us,” he sai🌃d at the end of the season.

“We gained a𝄹 lot, we reduced the gap 🅷but still not at the same level as them.

“And I think because also they developed the bike dur⛄ing the season. They were not stuck and they kept working a lot.

“During t🥂he season the bike improved, like our bike.

“I think we made𒉰 more improvements than Yamaha but they started from a higher point than us, especially with Quartararo 𓃲that knows very well the Yamaha and is able to bring the bike to the limit.

“And for sure it suits perfectly his riding style, he has much more knowledge of the bike and always his performan🍃ce is better than us… always, maybe not.

“But most of the time. But for sure also as a rider I wil🔯l be next year stronger on the Honda🌳.”

He added: “I think that durin🐼g this season they made a huge step♏.

“Since the day that I came to this factory I saw many cha𒊎nges and next year even more ch♏anges will happen.

“So, just it giv💧es me positive vibes. Let’s see how the new g🔜uys, how the new engineers will work and for sure everybody wants to bring Honda back to the top.”