6th just 2 tenths behind Maverick Vinales at the end of the 2019 pre-season MotoGP tests in Valencia, Franco Morbidelli did not take long to get used to Johann Zarco's bike.
This blatantly confirms that the Yamaha M1 is a “friendly” bike that is much easier to operate than the Honda with which the Italian rider completed his first season in MotoGP.
With a Ducati also now more user-friendly, and a Suzuki which is generally classified in the same category as the Yamaha, the Honda therefore appears to be the least affordable of the best machines, for which all the talent of Marc Márquez, and in a lesser extent Cal Crutchlow, to get the quintessence
Franco Morbidelli : “This bike is much more rider-friendly. You understand it quite quickly, while the other one is a little rougher. But anyway, both are two incredible bikes and I hope to get a good result with this one.”
Morbidelli confirmed that he was using Johann Zarco's frame (overall a 2016 chassis), with the 2018 engine and a carbon fork, something the ex-Tech3 rider never had.
“Of course I think I will switch to a much gentler riding style. My riding style is already quite gentle. This bike demands this style of riding. When you get on it, it's like riding through butter. It's a pretty nice feeling. It comes naturally. I think it will come naturally. I won't force anything and I will try to follow the vibrations of the bike. It's not much less physical. This is because everything that happens on the bike happens more easily, because of the size of the bike. The dimensions are completely different. Like I said, my previous bike was quite rough, it was very responsive. Not nervous. You might think she's nervous seeing her on TV. But the right word is reactive because everything that happens happens quickly.”
This character trait of the M1, however, does not bode well for its maximum level of performance throughout the year, neither on a lap, nor in a race. In this regard, we will remember the domination of Maverick Vinales during the 2017 pre-season tests, which did not materialize in the season concerned. Simply, with the Yamaha, it is possible to be very fast very quickly.
Jorge Lorenzo is warned…
