Has 2020 MotoGP world runner-up Franco Morbidelli already given up on the 2021 season? However, the campaign is only three Grands Prix over. But the first two in Qatar shook everything up for the Italian-Brazilian whose speech showed resignation to the fate of a satellite pilot stricto sensu. By that, mean that he is not equipped with a latest generation motorcycle from the brand that his team represents. A technical situation which limits his ambitions, even if, last year, this situation did not bother him too much. The fact remains that he is already thinking about 2022, and elsewhere than at Petronas Yamaha…
Franco Morbidelli had already sounded the alert during the Portuguese Grand Prix, slipping that he set out in search of a future “ emotionally and technically » more favorable than his current situation. A turnaround in a team Petronas who approached 2021 with the momentum of 2020, a season marked by six victories out of the 14 races contested and the place of vice-world champion for his Italian-Brazilian. The latter saw Valentino Rossi arriving at his side, his lifelong accomplice, which augured great moments of complicity. As for the hardware a notch below that of the factory drivers Yamaha , he would take his decision with the help of his experienced chief mechanic Ramón Forcada.
Then the two Grands Prix at Qatar took place and all these good intentions and good dispositions exploded. The pieces were not put back together Portimao, a step that is nevertheless less depressing. The placid and resilient Franco Morbidelli appears to have been hit. We will remember that he is the only one, with the Avintia rookies equipped in GP19, to really have a machine from last season. At Honda, and at Pramac Ducati, we gave its riders the latest generation developed at the factory, as at KTM.
An imbalance that he recalls: “ it's definitely more difficult than last year, because we have the same package and the other guys have improved their problems compared to 2020. I think under the current rules a satellite driver can fight for the championship " Explain Franco Morbidelli à crash.net. But he adds: “ and it has even more possibilities if it has the latest specifications! ". Which is therefore not his case.
Franco Morbidelli: “I don’t know yet about my future”
Feeling in an impasse, he is already offering himself on the transfer market. Morbidely says thus: ““ Right now I'm racing for Petronas SRT Yamaha and focusing on this team. I don't know yet about my future ". The teammate of Red is therefore said to listen, which is not nothing in a situation where the fate of the satellite teams is going to be decided. We talk a lot about the team VR46. Morbidely is he already making himself available to Vale’s projects? “ Running for VR46 might be a good thing, but I think VR46 should be about nurturing young talent in the Academy. Yes, I'm young, but I'm not that young ! So I don't think I'm the target of a possible VR46 team he replies.
He ends by looking back at 2021: “ If Vale is able to put what he can do on track, I'm sure he can fight for victory » assures Morbidely. On the other hand, the one who best serves Yamaha's interests at the moment is former teammate Fabio Quartararo... " He's doing a great job and he looks really strong. He has the official team behind him and he is in good mental shape. At the moment, Fabio seems to be the one with an advantage over everyone else ».
