Morbidelli: "Having the champion next to you doesn't give you more pressure"

Sepang, February 4, 2022. – Yamaha presented this Friday from Sepang the new 2022 M1 with which Fabio Quartararo will try to defend the crown won last year, and with which Franco Morbidelli will be able to face his first full season as an official rider factory, after a 2021 marked by the knee injury and in which he ended up replacing the fired Maverick Viñales in the final stretch of the course.

The Italian has recovered from knee surgery and faces the challenge of racing in the same garage as the world champion.

“I feel good physically. I was able to work a lot this winter. I was able to recover and get ready. I’ll tell the rest tomorrow when I get on the bike,” Franco said this Friday in the Sepang paddock, where the weekend will be they celebrate the pre-season tests with all the pilots.

“It’s a good feeling to start as a factory rider. You demand more of yourself because you have that responsibility. I’m going to focus all aspects of my life to get the best version of myself,” said the Roman, who for the first time will have the full support of a factory. “The improvements are small but many,” he said.

Morbidelli will have a new technical chief, after separating from Ramón Forcada by leaving Petronas SRT and working the last few races with Silvano Galbusera .

“With the new technical boss we still have to meet,” he said in reference to Patrick Primmer .

For Morbidelli, runner-up in the world in 2020, having Quartararo by his side does not mean extra stress, and he wants to turn it into motivation.

“Having the champion next to me doesn’t put more pressure on me, but more willingness to match his speed.”

Although they have very different styles, Franco will take advantage of the inertia of being next to a world champion.

“Each driver has his nature, and Fabio is more aggressive than me. All the drivers in the top 14 can win races. What has worked the most for me has been riding softer. That’s why I don’t copy Fabio, although, evidently I have in consideration his data”, settled the Italian-Brazilian.

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Foto de: Oriol Puigdemont