RiderTua.com – According to his own statement, Franco Morbidelli is very likely to take part in the season-opening MotoGP race in Qatar. After a crash during training on January 30 in Portimao, where he hit his head badly, the newcomer to the Pramac Ducati team is still waiting for doctor’s permission for his planned comeback in Qatar (March 8 to 10).
“We are still waiting for the doctor to allow it, so that we can say that I am back 100 percent. It is very, very possible that I will take part at the start of the season. From a medical point of view, it is said that after such an injury we have to wait at least 1 month, avoiding dangerous sports activities and live a certain way. We’ll see, if the doctors think I’m as well as I should be in a month. I look normal, don’t I?” said the 29 year old rider with a smile.
Franco Morbidelli : Pecco Gave Me Advice But We’ll See If I Can Apply It to the Track
Currently Franco Morbidelli only trains at home, but his program has to be adjusted due to injury. “I did what I could, consulted with Carlo (Casabianca) and the doctors. Even though my limbs and body are fine, I haven’t been able to train as usual,” said the Italian-Brazilian cross-breed rider.
Assuming medical clearance, Morbidelli faces a tough job in any case. Apart from a 1-day test in Valencia on November 28, he does not have any experience with Ducati, while his rivals have already completed at least 5 days of testing in Malaysia and Qatar in February (rookie Pedro Acosta, Yamaha and Honda riders are also allowed to undergo shakedown tests in Sepang thanks to concessions).
Franky explained, “It will be a good jump, but at least I know where I am on the best bike, it’s not a secret. This is a fantastic thing and the best situation a MotoGP rider can be in, barring injuries and we can also jump from behind.”
“I’m definitely going to face difficulties and struggles. But I don’t know how big of a problem I’m actually going to be. We’ll figure it out and work from there. It’s important to have the right approach. That means not paying too much attention to what the top riders are doing and “how big the gap might be. I know I have to close the deficit. It’s difficult to do that on a race weekend. But that’s what we have to do and we will try to do it in the best way,” added Jorge Martin’s new teammate.
What should be the advantage of Franky and his friend Pecco Bagnaia using the same factory bike as the defending champion and fastest rider in pre-season testing? “Yes, Pecco gave me advice. We’ll see if I can apply it on the track,” concluded Franky, but he was careful not to leak the valuable advice from his colleague at the VR46 Riders Academy.
