There are two Grands Prix remaining including that of Malaysia expected for this weekend. A double deadline at the end of which Franco Morbidelli will know if he managed to win the honorary but prized title of best rookie of the year in MotoGP. A battle fought against Hafizh Syahrin who will play at home in Sepang with the Yamaha Tech3. Certainly, but the one who arrived this year among the elite crowned with a Moto2 World Champion crown is already looking ahead to 2019. And for good reason: nothing has been simple with the Honda...
He is a protégé of Valentino Rossi who has a few more rough diamonds in his academy to polish. And he will have the joy of working closely with the master, since he will practically be riding the same Yamaha. Franco Morbidelli therefore has every reason to don the leather with Petronas branded on it. Because that of the Honda-branded Marc VDS Racing was sometimes heavy to carry…
The teammate of Tom Luthi, for whom the 2018 season was an ordeal, explains: “Next year, everything will be less opaque than this season. I don't know what awaits us, but I'm convinced it will be a great adventure. This time I will have an official motorcycle. I will have a direct relationship with Yamaha. So there should be fewer questions to ask.”
That being said, he avoids a misunderstanding with Honda: “I have to thank Honda because since I'm in contention to finish first in the rookie of the year rankings, they're finally giving me more advice. They tell me where I'm doing wrong and where I could do better. This helps me a lot and I have to thank them. We’re getting out of the night and all the advice is worth taking.”
We nevertheless feel that the support was provided sparingly. But it must also be said that the implosion within the Belgian team sealed its fate very early on in the MotoGP world. We will indeed remind you that it will no longer be part of the landscape in 2019.
Franco Morbidelli finished : " I hope this year has been very educational for me. I tried so hard. I had to change a lot of things in my approach, my riding style, my philosophy of motorcycle racing. I arrived in MotoGP crowned with a World Champion title. I was convinced that my journey would be dotted with rose petals, but I hit a wall. The reality was very different from what I expected. I hope to come out stronger ».
