Honda announced on Monday it had signed Italian Luca Marini, the half-brother of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, to a two-year deal with its factory team.
Marini, 26, will take over from Marc Marquez, the six-time world champion who is leaving Honda a year early to join his brother at Ducati satellite team Gresini Racing.
After making his MotoGP debut in 2021, Marini earned his first two podium finishes this season -- in the United States and Qatar -- as he came eighth overall riding for VR46, the Ducati satellite team owned by Rossi.