Luca Marini, Valentino Rossi’s step-brother: a future champion?

If he keeps racing like that, the young boy from Tavulla could become a legend like his brother.

Does the blonde boy seem familiar or is there something in his riding style that reminds you of someone else? The boy is Luca Marini, the step–brother of Valentino Rossi.

Luca Marini, pilot and half-brother of Valentino Rossi

You may have noticed him occasionally celebrating at the parc ferme with multi World Champion Valentino Rossi. Luca Marini is Valentino Rossi’s 23 year old step–brother and, like him, he is a motorcycle racer.

Son of Stefania Palma, mother of Valentino Rossi, and Massimo Marini, he grew up in Tavullia and at the age of almost 5 years began to approach the world of minimotorcycles.

As a child he competes with a logo consisting of the depiction of Guido, family bulldog,who holds the number 97 between his paws. Besides riding pocket bikes, Luca also rides a Honda NSF 100, and takes part in the Honda Italian Racing Project in the Junior Category.

Talent of the HIRP

HIRP is basically a riding school that teaches and trains 24 young and budding riding talents, who are schooled in riding safety and techniques and then go on track to race in their own small championship. Luca placed 5th in his category. HIRP is in partnership with Honda Italy, HRC and Team San Carlo Honda Gresini and in association with the Italian Motorcycle Federation.

A future champion

After debuting in Moto3 as a wildcard driver at the San Marino Grand Prix in 2013, Marini now competes for Moto2’s SKY Racing Team VR46. On 12 September Luca Marini won at Misano the GP of San Marino 2020 Moto2. “What emotions, I come home”, jokes his brother Valentino Rossi.

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