For Franco Morbidelli, the days follow one another and are all the same during the MotoGP test in Sepang: cooooooool!
Malaysian testing got off to a bad start for Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, Fabio DiGiannantonio destroying any chance of developing his Ducati GP25 from the first day due to a lack of concentration. He has already arrived in Italy and is awaiting his left collarbone operation.
But on the other side of the box, the atmosphere is the opposite for Franco Morbidelli which has the same GP24 as last year. The bike is proven, efficient, and " Franky " refined the settings for two days before devoting the third to a morning time trial and then a race simulation. Straightforward, clean, and rewarding work, here are the details.
Usually in Sepang, the Sepang International Circuit offers the best track conditions in the morning, and it was during his second run that the Roman went to find his limits. The man has experience and it only took him one lap to align three of his best sectors, concluded with a 1'56.948 giving him 4th place in the day's standings, thus becoming the last of the four drivers to have gone under 1'57, just two tenths from the fastest on the timesheet.
For comparison, Franco Morbidelli had also ranked 4th in the 2024 qualification, but in 1'57.279! The progression is therefore notable, even if we can never be certain that the track conditions are the same.
In any case, the number 21 then set about calibrating his race pace after three short adjustment runs. A long run of 13 laps completed in the 1'59.4 zone was considered satisfactory enough for the Italian to hang up the leather just after, before the checkered flag, and after only 41 laps completed that day.
The day for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rider was considered very positive, with the sensations during the time attack having improved, and the rider and the team are also very satisfied with the race pace. In the pure tradition of a certain Alex Marquez, author of the best time…
The next tests will take place at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram next week, on February 12 and 13.
Franco Morbidelli : "We achieved the goal of these three days of testing, which was to get to know each other and understand some aspects of the bike that I was not able to explore last year. In fact, I felt better than in 2024 and I was able to improve my lap time compared to last year's qualifying. I feel really good, even though it's only the third day with this new team. There are positive things about having the 2024 package, one of them is to focus on yourself and what you have to do without trying too many things in terms of development. The potential of this bike is very high, I know I can win races. I have confidence in my abilities, I have had ups and downs during my career, but right now I am on the right track. The team has had a tough year. Starting the new season like this gives everyone a big boost."
Paul Grandson, Team Director of Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team: "We have to be happy for Franco, but we are also a little sorry for Fabio. Franco got on very well with the team, we worked really well. It's true that he already knows the motorcycle, but it was our first time together on the track since the Barcelona tests. I think that we are on the right track, and that is very positive. Sadly, Diggia was injured on the first day of testing. We know he needs 15-20 days to recover from his surgery., but it is a pity to miss the winter tests. The first day he was very fast, he will recover and we hope to be ready as soon as possible for the first race."
Combined classification of the 2025 MotoGP test at Sepang:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
Franco Morbidelli Sepang Test
