It was a Saturday with a bitter aftertaste in Monza for Franco Morbidelli as the Tavullia driver faced an unscheduled event this afternoon that forced him to hoist the white flag. His weekend didn’t end here though as he’ll be back in action tomorrow to end the weekend in Brianza.
Morbidelli explained what happened at the end of a day when the weather was testing all drivers.
“I left my car 80 kilometers from the racetrack,” said Franco jokingly. “With all the snow it was really difficult today. The road was covered in snow and there was only one trajectory to follow. Unfortunately during the broadcast, I relaxed for a moment, touched the wall, and flexed an arm. All it took was a little distraction to stop me. ”
This is how Morbidelli experienced what it means to pay dearly for a trivial mistake.
“It’s super tough! Here you pay very dearly for your mistakes. In fact, it takes very little to get out of the picture, more than it does with motorcycles. Here in Monza, I’m experiencing an extreme rally and you pay dearly for the smallest mistake. Today I had another experience. Get on a tow truck“He said, trying to downplay it.
Now all he has to do is think about Saturday.
“Tomorrow, as always, I will start confident, calm and convinced. You make mistakes, but our rally is not over yet, so I want to finish it as best as possible. “
Despite the inconvenience, Franco continues to enjoy the adventure.
“Compared to the world championship, the rally environment is more rustic and simple, but at the same time fascinating. It has a different charm than motorcycles, but there is a lot of passion. The people who work here convey a lot of love for racing and simplicity. “
Franco also experimented with dsriving on the Monza track at night. Who knows if Yamaha plans to bring him to Suzuka in 2021.
“Suzuka is a legendary race, but given my World Championship commitments, it won’t be possible. My priority is MotoGP. “
Apart from Morbidelli, the race will start again tomorrow morning at 7:48 a.m. with the last stage. At the top is Sebastien Ogier, who has the seventh chance to become world champion since Elfyn Evans – who has come to Monza as the championship leader – is no longer in the game.
Then the time had finally come Umberto Scandolaexceptional performance, paired with Guido D’Amore, with the best time in the eleventh round. It was eight years since an Italian driver held a position in the World Rally.