It’s holiday time for MotoGP, but also a good opportunity to draw some initial conclusions. With already nine races the market is starting to warm up and every driver is judged on the results achieved so far. Franco Morbidelli finished five of the nine races in the top ten. But his desire to do better, combined with a teammate like Fabio Quartararo, means the Italian is keen to get back on track and prove his worth.
Franco, how would you rate your first half?
“I think I’ve earned a 7.5 so far. We were quick, but not consistent. I’m eleventh overall and think I deserved to fight for better results, but I made some mistakes that I should have avoided. Maybe then we won’t have what we deserve, but the battle for sixth place is tough. I hope that I can improve my situation in the second part of the season. “
How hard is it to fight for positions and points behind the leaders?
“There is a big group that can fight for the positions that count and it’s nice to be a part of that. The championship positions change after each race – I’ve fought with drivers who have podiums and wins and in this situation the details make the difference and that encourages us to work harder. “
And your best race so far?
“”I would say Assen without a doubt, but things went well in Argentina too. I fought for the podium ”.
And how do you adapt to the M1?
“It’s going well, we just need to understand a few things to be comfortable in all conditions. I work well with the team, I feel like they are listening to me and there is a positive atmosphere. All of these are important aspects that enable me to do the best I can. “
Where would you like to improve with a view to the next races?
“Regarding the bike, I want to improve the grip when accelerating, which is definitely our weak point and which we have to focus on. The team is working hard to improve and Yamaha is very supportive. “
Goals for the second part of the season?
“The numbers show us that I often did better in the second half of the season. In 2016, I was first and second selectively in the second half of the season, while in the year after winning the title I like many tracks, such as Misano and Sepang, which are special races for the team. I don’t understand why I can’t think of the podium, but now I want to use the vacation to focus on my weak spots and recharge my batteries, which is easy to do on the beach. “