Honda chooses Luca Marini's crew chief for Fabio Quartararo's arrival

Honda has chosen Christian Pupulin, Luca Marini’s current crew chief, to join Fabio Quartararo’s team ahead of the French rider’s factory MotoGP debut in 2027. The pairing is expected to be among the last major rider transfers officially announced, but it was agreed early, as reported by Motorsport.com in late January. Quartararo, from Nice and Yamaha’s 2021 world champion, will be Honda’s headline signing for a new technical era featuring 850cc MotoGP bikes. Motorsport.com reports Honda will place Pupulin as crew chief on the side of the garage Quartararo will occupy. Pupulin spent much of his career at Ducati, working with riders including Nicky Hayden, Andrea Dovizioso and Jack Miller, before moving with Jack Miller to KTM in 2023. He joined Honda last year to replace Giacomo Guidotti as Marini’s crew chief, as Marini’s future seat plans evolved. Quartararo will also be supported by Ignacio “Nacho” Madurga, currently responsible for tyres at Yamaha. Honda has not yet finalized Quartararo’s second factory teammate; Diogo Moreira is a leading candidate.