Luca Marini stuck on just one point: “I’m aware of the choice I made…”

Luca Marini claimed his first point of the MotoGP season at the ninth round, when another rider was hit with a tyre pressure penalty.

He is rooted to 23rd in the standings, the lowest of any full-time rider.

Dani Pedrosa, who raced once at Jerez where he only completed the sprint, has six points more than Marini.

His first year with Repsol Honda has not panned out as he might have hoped.

"Compared to last year, seeing myself down in the standings is not easy,” he told Sky Italia.

“But I am aware of the choice I made, of the process that will take to get back to the top. I can't say how long it will take.

“We are changing some things also on a people level, with Italian and European engineers who perhaps come from F1.

“I hope that at the end of the year we can be closer to the leaders, manage to do some Q2s, then we'll see next year."

'This bike a step back compared to Valencia'

Marini’s best result on a Sunday this year came at the most recent round in Germany, where he finished 15th.

Last year, equipped with a year-old Ducati in the VR46 team, he achieved two Sunday podiums.

His first year as a factory rider has been a massive contract.

"I always like to look on the bright side, we're not where we want to be but I've seen great push from all the engineers working on the project," Marini said.

"At the beginning of the year we thought we were at a higher level, in reality this year's bike was a step back compared to last year's one I tested in the first test in Valencia.

“But things are changing, the path is the right one even if it will take some time.

“We hope to restart from Silverstone in a good condition, also because the last race was the best."

Honda (and Yamaha) have benefitted most greatly from revised concessions rules this year.

But those developmental benefits have not yet translated into on-track results.

Marini is cautious that the benefits might not even arrive next year.

"It is still too early for Honda and Yamaha,” he said.

“The manufacturers progress a lot from one year to the next and we are no longer in the era where Honda and Yamaha were the best and remained firm on the project they had because they were already winning.

“Now everyone brings something new every year and we have to be better than them."

Marini does, at least, have an additional home race to look forward to.

The Kazakhstan MotoGP has been officially replaced by the Emilia Romagna MotoGP, held at Misano.

It means Misano will host consecutive rounds, and a test, in September.

"I'm very happy for my whole area, Emilia Romagna, having two weekends at home is fantastic, it will bring even more people,” he said.

But Marini is no longer entering with Valentino Rossi, his brother and the VR46 boss, so closely involved in his career.

“How much has Valentino helped me? Impossible to quantify,” he said.

“In the first years, with me, as with everyone else, he always had the right word and helped me and the others to know the secrets of each track, or perhaps of the tyres that have a fundamental role.

“Now Vale has his own championships, he competes in a lot of races and it's very difficult to see each other at home, we talk via message but we try to support each other, from home it's complicated."