Franco Morbidelli returned to the points with a 14th-place finish at the MotoGP Indonesian GP. Although the result wasn’t particularly strong, he took positive indications from the race in Mandalika and hopes to replicate them at the Australian GP.

The Italian rider from Monster Energy Yamaha stated: ‘The electronics issue aside, the Indonesian GP race was actually quite passable. I was pleased with the speed I had, so I’m curious to see if we can benefit from that this weekend’.

Morbidelli also emphasized the importance of being well-prepared from the opening day: ‘We have seen in Indonesia once again how important the Fridays are in the MotoGP 2023 race weekend format. We need to make sure we are ready on the Friday and be prepared for anything and everything because the weather at Phillip Island can be unpredictable. I like this track though, and we will do our best again!’.

O conteúdo Franco Morbidelli is ‘curious’ to see if he can maintain speed in Australia aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

After failing to score points for the first time this season, Franco Morbidelli arrives at the MotoGP Indonesian GP this weekend. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider is currently in 12th place in the championship, two positions behind his teammate Fabio Quartararo.

The Italian believes he could have a good chance in case of rain, although he emphasizes that his commitment will remain the same regardless of the conditions: ‘We return to the Mandalika track, which is a track I like. We had a good package here in the rain last year, and our pace in the rain at the Japanese GP two weeks ago was also decent. So, should it rain, I feel we have good potential again. The forecasts don’t predict any rain, but regardless of the weather conditions, we will be pushing to get the best result possible’.

Morbidelli also commented: ‘We know that this is one of those circuits where the track conditions improve over the course of the race weekend, but it will be important to find good speed early on to be ready for time attacks’.

O conteúdo ‘Should it rain, I feel we have good potential again’ – Franco Morbidelli aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Yamaha managed to find something at the Indian Grand Prix that hinted that the Japanese constructor’s and his two riders’ season could be reversed. Still, neither Franco Morbidelli nor Fabio Quartararo were able to maintain the good results in Japan.

And after a Sprint where Quartararo was only 15th and Morbidelli 16th, Sunday’s race was no better, with the Yamaha riders taking 10th and 17th place respectively.

In a debrief, Franco Morbidelli explained that he could have achieved a better result with the rain tyres, but chose to take a chance, something that did not compensate:

– I tried to bet on a different strategy, I tried to stay on track with the slick tyres, because it was raining and I expected it to stop, but in the end it didn’t happen. Either way, there was an all-or-nothing bet that unfortunately didn’t pay off. Then with the rain tyres my speed was good, but I was already far behind. Still, it was nice to dream for a few moments.

O conteúdo ‘I tried to bet on a different strategy’ – Franco Morbidelli aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The MotoGP Indian GP marked Franco Morbidelli’s return to top ten results, with the seventh place in the main race. A momentum that the Monster Energy Yamaha man wants to keep in his team’ home, at the Japanese GP.

The Italian rider stressed that the clear goal is to do even better than last weekend: ‘After a positive end to the Indian GP for the team, we have arrived in Japan. It’s Yamaha’s home GP, so we want to try to improve on the results we got last week’.

Morbidelli will leave Yamaha at the end of the season, and he revealed that he got the chance to say «goodbye» to the Japanese members of the team: ‘Before going to the track, I visited the headquarters of the Yamaha Motor Company in Iwata to say ’goodbye’ to the Yamaha employees as this is my last year with them. It was a nice visit, and I’m going to try to enjoy this race weekend to the fullest’.

O conteúdo ‘We want to try to improve on the Indian results’ – Franco Morbidelli aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Next year, Franco Morbidelli will be riding a factory Ducati in MotoGP, as part of the satellite Prima Pramac team. He leaves behind two very challenging seasons at Monster Energy Yamaha and hopes to rejuvenate his career.

The Italian rider said in a press conference that it was an opportunity he hoped for: ‘I have to thank, first of all to Paolo Campinoti for giving me this opportunity and then all Ducati people, Gianluca [Falcioni] and VR46. We’ve been hoping for this opportunity to come and we’ve been working on this thing. And finally now we can all say it. And it’s a great feeling. After two rather complicated years will be good I guess’.

Asked about his talks about Ducati with his fellow VR46 Riders Academy riders who ride that bike, Morbidelli commented: ‘For sure I had some difficult moments in listening their feedback and understanding that it was so different to my feeling. And it has been in some cases a little bit of frustration. Next year everything will be the same, we gonna talk about the same topic’.

The #21 also assured that he will speak with the other VR46 riders who are riding for Ducati in order to learn: ‘For sure I’ll ask a lot of questions and I’ll try to learn as quick as possible in order to be competitive in the new bike as quick as possible’.

O conteúdo Franco Morbidelli and his move to Pramac: ‘We’ve been hoping for this opportunity to come’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Monster Energy Yamaha finished the Indian Grand Prix with an excellent combined result from its pair of riders, Fabio Quartararo was 3rd and Franco Morbidelli – who will move to Prima Pramac Ducati in 2024 – was 7th in Sunday’s long race.

In a season that has been quite complicated for the Japanese team, Morbidelli stated in a debrief that this was a good result for him and for the team:

– It was good, it was good. A positive race for us. The team deserves this 3rd and 7th place. I was able to regain a lot of positions, after starting a lot behind, and I was enjoying it, I’m happy. I wanted to thank my mechanics and the team. (…) I opted for the hard tyre, which for performance is a bit worse, but in the middle of the group it was working a bit better. So in the end, where I started from, it was a good choice.

The Italian Brazilian rider also said that he cannot understand completely what happened to the Japanese bikes this weekend, and that he believes that Yamaha is in fact improving and not the competitors stagnating:

– I don’t know. I can’t even tell you what happened to the Japanese bikes this weekend, why they were so much better this weekend, but I accept it. (…) I like to think it’s Yamaha that’s improving.

O conteúdo ‘The team deserves this 3rd and 7th place’ – Franco Morbidelli aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Franco Morbidelli aims to make a comeback to top-ten results this weekend. The Monster Energy Yamaha rider will start the MotoGP Indian GP in a modest 12th place in the championship standings, failing to finish in the top ten of a race since the German GP.

The Italian emphasized that the recent announcement as Pramac’s rider in 2024 allows him to have a different kind of focus and approach: ‘Now that it’s official where I will be riding next year, it has given me the clarity needed to focus on the task ahead. I can now fully concentrate on what’s happening on track and ride with nothing to lose’.

As for the Indian GP, Morbidelli stated: ‘At the Misano test, it was decided that I will stick with the same bike configuration as before, and I’m interested to find out how that will run at the Buddh circuit. It’s something new, so that’s always interesting for riders and teams’.

O conteúdo Franco Morbidelli can ‘ride with nothing to lose’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Next year, Franco Morbidelli will start a new chapter in his MotoGP career, joining the Prima Pramac team with a contract with Ducati and riding a factory bike. He leaves Yamaha behind, whose proposal included a future in the World Superbike Championship.

The Italian revealed to the newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that he didn’t considered that offer: ‘Yes, Yamaha offered me Superbike, but I didn’t even think about it’.

As for his expectations for the future at Pramac, Morbidelli stated: ‘I hope to perform well at Pramac, really, I hope that, and I wish it to be a very different team from Yamaha. I know that the dynamics within my next team will change. It is much larger and has a structure where the top of the pyramid is so far away that it’s not even visible. It’s different from other teams. But that’s not what was lacking in these years. What was lacking were data at the mechanical level’.

O conteúdo ‘Yamaha offered me the Superbike, but I didn’t even think’ – Franco Morbidelli aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Gigi Dall’Igna, the General Director of Ducati Corse, has expressed his pleasure regarding the arrival of Franco Morbidelli to Pramac Racing in 2024. He is confident that with Ducati’s latest motorcycle, Morbidelli will finally be able to showcase his full potential in MotoGP.

In an official statement, Dall’Igna shared his happiness about having the Italian rider on board. He mentioned, “It’s a pleasure for us to welcome Franco Morbidelli to our Pramac Racing team, which is supported by the factory, for the upcoming sports season, riding an official Desmosedici GP.”

Dall’Igna believes that this could be the golden opportunity for the former Moto2 world champion, who has already won GPs in the premier category, to demonstrate his capabilities. He elaborated, “Franco is a rider of immense talent and experience, and on more than one occasion, he has showcased his strength and speed. It’s no coincidence that in 2020, he was the MotoGP World Vice-Champion, winning three Grand Prix races. We are confident that, together with the Prima Pramac Racing team and thanks to our support, he will be able to exhibit his full potential. We are eagerly looking forward to embarking on this new and thrilling adventure together.”

O conteúdo Gigi Dall’Igna confident that in 2024 Franco Morbidelli will be able to ‘show his full potential’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Franco Morbidelli has signed an agreement with Ducati that will see the Roman rider join the Pramac Racing Team for the 2024 season alongside Jorge Martin, both riding the Desmosedici GP24.
Vice-World Champion in MotoGP in 2020, Moto2 World Champion in 2017, and European Superstock 600 Champion in 2013, Franco Morbidelli will bring the Italian flag back to the Pramac Racing team’s garage three seasons after Pecco Bagnaia.

Paolo Campinoti – Prima Pramac Racing Team Principal:

“I am very happy that Franco is joining our family for 2024. I have an excellent relationship with him, and he has proven to be a champion on many occasions. I am confident that in our team, he will find the right conditions to fight for the positions he deserves.”

Gino Borsoi – Prima Pramac Racing Team Manager:

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with a champion like Franco. I have great confidence in him and his talent. I am sure he will feel very comfortable in our team, and together, we will achieve great results.”

Luigi Dall’Igna – General Manager of Ducati Corse:

“It is a pleasure for us to welcome Franco Morbidelli to our factory-supported Pramac Racing team for the upcoming sports season, riding an official Desmosedici GP. Franco is a rider of great talent and experience, and on more than one occasion, he has demonstrated his strength and speed. It’s no coincidence that in 2020, he was the MotoGP vice-world champion, winning three Grand Prix races. We are confident that, together with the Pramac Racing team and thanks to our support, he will be able to show his full potential. We look forward to embarking on this new exciting adventure together.”

O conteúdo BREAKING NEWS: Franco Morbidelli has signed an agreement with Ducati to join the Pramac Racing Team for the 2024 season alongside Jorge Martin, both riding the Desmosedici GP24 aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.