Morbidelli: “They didn’t owe me anything, but I deserved the factory Yamaha”

Morbidelli: “They didn’t owe me anything, but I deserved the factory Yamaha”

Franco Morbidelli will debut aboard the Yamaha factory M1 at Misano, after months away following knee surgery

16.09.2021 ( Aggiornata il 16.09.2021 20:41 )

It’s been a long wait, and not only due to the injury and the subsequent knee surgery that has kept Morbidelli far from MotoGP for several months, but also the “agony” of the early part of the season, when an old bike prevented him from fully expressing himself. This weekend brings a rebirth, as Franco will be back on track, and in Yamaha factory colours no less.

Morbidelli: "I can’t wait to get on the bike”


“It’s been tough watching the racing from home - he told Sky Sport MotoGP - but I have to say that after a while I kind of got used to it and started to follow the races as a real fan. MotoGP is just great and it’s a real pleasure to be back, especially in these colours and with this fantastic team. I wasn’t really thinking so much about the announcement coming this year. I’m really pleased it did, and I can’t wait to get on the bike and see how it goes”.

“I’m aiming high”


But how is Franco physically? “I’m doing well physically – he continues – I can be fairly relaxed with my knee in everyday life and in the gym. I’ve tried getting on the bike twice, the first time I couldn’t ride but the second time I could, and that’s what convinced me to come here. We’ve focused a lot on my recovery, as the injury wasn’t serious, but the recovery takes a long time. We were optimistic at first, thinking I’d only miss three races, but then as time went on, I realised that I’d need longer".

So this weekend sees the big factory debut: “I hope to score good results because with a team of this level, you need to aim high and so that’s what I’ll do. I’m aware of my physical condition right now, so I won’t rush myself, but the goal is to aim high. I believed I deserved the factory Yamaha and spoke openly with everything on the team and in the end, here we are. They didn’t owe me anything, but I think I deserved it”.

On his team-mate


Morbidelli will flank current championship leader Fabio Quartararo: “Having Fabio as a team-mate is a problem, because he’s very fast, but it’s also a challenge and a real opportunity for personal growth because there’s a desire to bother him and be quicker than him. This year, I’ll be on tip toes because he’s fighting for the title, while I’m out of the running, so I’ll try to do my job calmly and consistently as I’m sure he will too. I hope to be quick, not to bother him but to motivate him. We’ll see how I am physically, the Yamaha is a friendly bike that’s easy to handle so I hope I can be quick as soon as possible”.

Lastly, on Andrea Dovizioso who will take his place on the Petronas team and Maverick Viñales’ departure from the Yamaha factory team: “I’m pleased that Dovi’s with my guys, as they’re all fantastic and he’s going to have fun and fit in well. A lot went on while I was away. I leave you alone for a minute and all you do is create chaos! I was following what went on, which was interesting, it added a little spice to what normally goes on on track. I’m a fan of MotoGP, and in the end I’m on a factory bike, what more could I want?”

Translated by Heather Watson

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