Franco Morbidelli marveled with a resounding end to the 2020 season, winning three races and reaching the world runner-up position riding a discontinued Yamaha, the oldest on the grid, beating all the official factory machinery of the Iwata house, in the hands then Valentino Rossi, Maverick Viñales and Fabio Quartararo.
However, an old knee injury compromised the first half of the 2021 season, in which he remained under the discipline of the Yamaha satellite team, the then Petronas, being forced to undergo surgery and miss much of the course.
Upon his return, and after the still incomprehensible departure of Viñales from the official Yamaha team in the summer of last year, the factory decided to promote Morbidelli to the official team, signing a contract for two seasons, until the end of 2023.
Since his return from the operation and promotion to the factory box, Morbidelli has not found a way to tame an M1 that, meanwhile, flies in the hands of Quartararo, champion in 2021.
Franco’s repeated lack of results and a boiling market with coveted parts released, triggered speculation about a possible Yamaha maneuver with the Roman rider.
Franco himself acknowledged at Le Mans that “whoever is calm about the future is stupid.”
Motorsport.com spoke with the team’s sporting director, Massimo Meregalli , and asked him, once Quartararo’s renewal was announced, if Yamaha closed the rider line-up for 2023, despite the fact that at no time has it ruled on Morbidelli.
“The lineup is closed, Franco will continue next year absolutely sure,” he said. “We have never considered doing without him,” he settled the matter.
Step forward in Montmeló
In parallel, Morbidelli managed this Friday on the first day of practice for the Catalan Grand Prix to make a clear jump, finishing ahead of his teammate.
“It was a good and positive day. I was fast in the morning and in the afternoon we tried some tyres. Finally, without the best combination of tires for performance, we were able to go straight to Q2, so we are in the top 10,” he said. I congratulate.
“We are always working to try to exploit the bike like I did with the old one”, in reference to the 2019 M1 with which he was runner-up in 2020.
“This M1 is a bit different, I have to use it differently. But in the end the potential is greater than the other one. It’s just a matter of adapting.”
“This is really a step forward, you just have to follow this path. It’s a great feeling. When I have looked at the time table on the straight and I have seen the first place at all times, I have felt good again, like in the old days. Let’s look forward, let’s continue like this. I like it, I want more”, said the Italian, who was ahead of the times for almost the entire FP1, until he was finally overtaken by Alex Rins.
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Photo by: Marc Fleury
Photo by: Marc Fleury
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