Morbidelli “positive” to be “angry” about missed podium
Franco Morbidelli admits his fourth in the MotoGP Catalan Grand Prix left him “angry”, but believes this is “positive” as it shows he is “on a great level”.
Morbidelli led the first eight laps of the Barcelona race from pole on his Petronas Yamaha before being passed by teammate and eventual winner Fabio Quartararo on lap nine.
The Italian would make a mistake at the first corner under braking on lap 14, which cost him two seconds and dropped him to third, before tyre wear eventually allowed the Suzuki duo of Joan Mir and Alex Rins to push him down to fourth.
“I am angry for this fourth place, and this is positive because it means we are on a great, great level,” Morbidelli said.
“I had a wonderful start and maybe I pushed a bit too much and I wore out the tyres a bit too much and I wasn’t ready to fight when Fabio arrived.
“So, when I was behind him I was losing a little bit in the straight, and to catch up I had to risk a lot in braking and I made a mistake.
“I almost crashed into him, so I needed to go straight and wide and I lost two seconds, which are the ones that make me lose the podium.
“So, I am angry for this mistake but I need to be happy overall about the overall weekend.”
Morbidelli’s ‘A-spec’ M1 – which is effectively the 2019 bike – was some 5.5km/h slower than Quartararo’s 2020 M1 through the speed traps in the race, with the Italian slowest of all on the straights.
He says this meant he “couldn’t make a strategy” to manage the tyres for the race and forced him into just pushing at the start while he had grip.
“I wasn’t thinking about managing the tyre because you can [only] think about managing the tyre when you have power on the straight,” he added.
“And I’m clearly the weakest of the field in this point of view.
“This weekend I was 6km/h slower than the other Yamahas, and at the end of the race I was 22km/h slower than the Ducatis.
“So, I couldn’t make any strategy. I just had to start and make the maximum. I couldn’t manage the tyres because I wanted to give the maximum when there was [grip].
“But I think it was the best strategy for me and my package.”
Morbidelli admitted after his San Marino GP win he thought he could fight for “something big” in the championship.
However, even though he is only 31 points adrift of Quartararo in fifth, he says his speed deficit at Catalunya to his Yamaha counterparts has made him re-evaluate this.
“We have been very unlucky and we are still fifth in the championship,” he said in response to a question from Motorsport.com.
“After Misano I was thinking that maybe I could have fought for something bigger, but actually after seeing my potential on a straight line here being even less than the other Yamahas, I need to step back, try to relax, try to enjoy every race on the bike, not thinking about anything.”
Previous article
Mir: "Too early" to be considered MotoGP title favourite
Next article
KTM's Binder: Final Barcelona laps like "riding in the rain"
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Catalan GP |
| Drivers | Franco Morbidelli |
| Teams | SIC Racing Team |
| Author | Lewis Duncan |
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title
