On Sunday evening Franco Morbidelli bid farewell to Yamaha and opened a new chapter by joining the Pramac team, which has just won the 2023 team title and narrowly missed out on the riders’ crown with Jorge Martín.
At almost 29 years old, the Italian rider is changing everything, having only ridden Japanese bikes since his arrival in the MotoGP class in 2018. First Honda in the Marc VDS team, then Yamaha at Petronas SRT and finally within the brand’s official team , where he found himself facing multiple difficulties. The first test of 2024, which took place on Tuesday, was therefore mainly dedicated to the discovery of Ducati DNA.
“I did many laps. It was important to ‘meet the bike’, get to know it and understand as much as possible how it works, how it should be managed and used”, explained Morbidelli in his debriefing with the official MotoGP website. With 69 laps completed, he was one of the most active drivers on the track. Without going into the merits of the evaluation of the prototypes for next season, the main objective of the day was to make him understand the character of the Desmosedici well, identifying in the meantime what he will have to change in his riding to adapt to the style it requires.
“It was a good first day, everything went smoothly,” he said after his several runs. “I’m very happy. There are things I need to improve on and where I need the bike to follow me. But today we didn’t work on everything, I just had fun, I did a lot of laps and I tried to ‘savor’ the new package “.
“We started with a standard set-up, as he wanted”, Pramac Racing Team Manager Gino Borsoi told Sky Sport, explaining during the day the first areas for improvement identified: “At the moment Morbidelli does not have the situation under control in braking. He must coordinate with the engine brake and the rear brake. He is not yet able to be aggressive and does not have the right feeling with the bike. He must first understand well how to enter the corners.”
Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
A new motorcycle to discover for Franco Morbidelli.
Between melancholy and joy for the move
This day’s work, which ended nine and a half tenths behind the leader, was the first step for Franco Morbidelli on the road back to the top in 2020, when he won three Grands Prix and fought for the title.
“I really want to bring him back to where he deserves to be, on the podium!”, warned Gino Borsoi about his new driver, with whom he himself must establish a new relationship. “I don’t know Franco well, but everyone speaks well of him. I know that the relationship will be easy and I’m very happy to have him on the team.”
“We all know that Ducati works well, that it is a good package and a good group. I will try to do my best, to adapt as quickly as possible and to do the best job possible. I aim to do great things”, admitted the Roman driver, who dreams of silencing the critics and rediscovering the exhilarating sensations of victory.
Before competing in his last Grand Prix with Yamaha, he admitted that he was torn between excitement for what awaited him in his new team and a hint of regret for the chapter that was closing: “It’s inevitable that a change like this great comes with negative feelings, because I’ve always gotten along with the people on the team, with everyone. The team is made up of people, so a human bond is inevitably created. Separating from them hurts a bit.”
“But I also anticipate that it is impossible to remain on that feeling, on that melancholy, if I think about what awaits me: people I know, who are Italian, who form the best team of the year. They have the best bike, they have the best chances to give the best of himself and this is what a driver needs. So, if I look back, I definitely feel a bit of melancholy, but if I look forward, I feel joy.”
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