Morbidelli/Rossi relationship won’t change as MotoGP teammates
MotoGP 2020 runner-up Franco Morbidelli says “nothing will change” between himself and Valentino Rossi as Petronas SRT teammates as “nothing is as big as friendship”.


Morbidelli’s mentor and nine-time grand prix world champion Rossi will continue his MotoGP career into a 26th season in 2021 with SRT after losing his factory Yamaha place to Fabio Quartararo.
Three-time MotoGP race winner Morbidelli was one of the first riders to be selected for the VR46 Academy, with Rossi a massive driving force in the 26-year-old’s grand prix career.
With the pair joining forces in 2021, Morbidelli isn’t worried about his relationship with Rossi potentially deteriorating should they be evenly matched at SRT as MotoGP “is just a game”.
“I make to myself with Vale the same wish that I make to myself towards all my friends,” he said on Tuesday following SRT’s 2021 launch.
“So, I hope to be fair, just and right with all my friends, not just with Vale.
“Vale is a big friend of mine and his figure is maybe even bigger than that of a friend. And I hope to be fair and just and right towards him in every aspect of life and in every aspect.
“We race against one another, and to be fair, right and just with him and with me I need to race against him in the same way that I’ve been racing against him all my life. Nothing is going to change.
“Of course, we are fighting for something big, but we need to remember that nothing is as big as friendship, love and that’s it.
“So, human side is more important than games. This is just a game – a pretty important one, a game that we do since we were little kids.
“But it’s still a game, so we need to remember this when we are fighting, and I hope we will be fighting for top spots and important things.”
Read Also:
Pressed on if he will see Rossi as his main rival when he’s in the box or still as his friend, Morbidelli added: “I will see both. It’s difficult to split.
“Our thoughts never go in one direction; our thoughts always go in different directions and it’s difficult to pinpoint one.
“Maybe in one moment and in one situation I will see him as the first guy to beat and then five minutes later I will see him as my best friend or one of my best friends, so it’s difficult to pinpoint one of the two.
“I’m sure when I’m racing, and I am in the pit box I will feel more that support feeling.
“So, the first rider to beat for sure I will have that feeling more. But it’s difficult to split the rider from the friend.”
Related video

Rossi won’t have less pressure as satellite MotoGP rider
Brivio: ‘Not easy’ leaving Suzuki MotoGP squad for ‘dream’ F1 move

Latest news
Five things we learned from Vasseur’s first Ferrari F1 press call
Ferrari has undergone a winter of upheaval ever since it was announced that boss Mattia Binotto was stepping away from the Formula 1 squad.
Live: Watch the first round of WSK Champions Cup
Grand opening of the WSK season for the first round of the WSK Champions Cup from 25 to 29 January at South Garda Karting.
Rolex 24, Hour 12: MSR Acura leads AXR Cadillac at half-distance
Meyer Shank Racing’s Simon Pagenaud led the field as the clock ticked past the halfway mark in the 61st Rolex 24 Hours, with the AXR Cadillac of Alexander Sims, the WTR Acura and the #6 Porsche in hot pursuit.
Rolex 24, Hour 9: Cadillac back in charge, scare for MSR Acura
Chip Ganassi Racing's #01 Cadillac V-LMDh led the Rolex 24 at Daytona at the nine-hour mark, as the Meyer Shank Racing Acura dropped back following a spin for Helio Castroneves.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew members absorbed into other operations.
How one MotoGP team went from title challengers to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is Marc Marquez ready to reclaim his MotoGP throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Motorsport.com.
How MotoGP's underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Motorsport.com why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of more competition than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
Luca Marini: Why he's more than just Valentino Rossi's brother
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Motorsport.com – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend.
Ranking the top 10 MotoGP riders of 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Motorsport.com picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.