“My Yamaha was flying today”. Pressed by questions in the Sky studio and on the wings of a newfound confidence Franco Morbidelli he tried to jockey for fourth place in the Sprint. He tried to keep his feet on the ground, but his M1 took him higher than he himself hoped. “The garage guys did a great job,” he explained, but without fully convincing anyone who has seen one M1 unrecognizable, able to keep pace with Ducati, Aprila and Ktm, the fastest bikes of the lot. For several laps Franco remained in the lead, then he glued to Binder, who struggled to shake him off once he passed in front. In the end he gave in to his friends Bezzecchi and Marini, but for more than half the race he dreamed and made others dream of a podium that would have tasted forgotten. For the first time Morbidelli finished in the top five with the official Yamaha, the same one that his teammate took to second place in the last World Championship. And to the first in the previous one. The same bike that for a year now has been discounting a serious power and speed gap.
Quartararo’s problematic weekend, Morbidelli returns to the fore
Se Quarterly between practice, qualifying and a quick race, he confirmed this impression by finishing a problematic weekend in ninth place. Morbidelli reversed this impression, rooted in general opinion. “Better keep your feet on the ground,” Franco argued, himself surprised by his performance. But something is out of place in this contrast that one can find explanation in the characteristics of the route, more congenial to Morbidelli, and in the excellent qualifying which allowed him to sprint with the leaders and to fight with them (“with the big names” as Frankie quipped) throughout the race. “When we are in front we can do our race”. Translated, it means: making your own lines, without elbowing in the fray with the problems associated with the lower acceleration of the M1. There is always a reason, there must be. Without forgetting Morbidelli’s class, hidden somewhere along with his talent. Franco had disappeared from radar. Argentina, at least for one day, gave him back a leading role.