Morbidelli opens up on Spike Lee-inspired Misano helmet message
Franco Morbidelli says he wanted to tackle racism with his Spike Lee-inspired MotoGP San Marino Grand Prix helmet design as it is “important to remember we are all the same”.
Photo by: Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Racism and diversity have been topics at the forefront in sport in 2020 in light of the Black Lives Matter protests which erupted following the murder by police of George Floyd in America in May.
Formula 1 set up its ‘We Race As One’ initiative to tackle the issue, while Mercedes changed to a black livery to show its support for the message – with Lewis Hamilton the most vocal voice in motorsport pushing for change. MotoGP has been conspicuous in its lack of similar messaging this year.
As is traditional for Italian riders at their home events, Morbidelli was one of several to debut a special helmet design on Saturday which featured himself depicted as a character from the Spike Lee award-winning film Do the Right Thing – a movie that tackles racial tensions and violence in America.
Morbidelli – whose father is Italian and mother is Brazilian – also has the phrase ‘equality’ printed in numerous languages on the back of his helmet.
Explaining his new helmet design, he said: “When I decided to make the special helmet for this event, I wanted to deal with a big matter and a big topic, which is racism. But I wanted to also hug the whole 2020 year, because this 2020 started in a really bad way and many, many not likeable things happened in the world in 2020.
“We are trying to put up a show for the audience and we are trying to make the audience feel good. So, I wanted to treat the topic with some lightness, not being heavy.
“And there is a Spike Lee movie that treats this matter in a great, it’s called Do the Right Thing. There is the character that at one point in the movie just says ‘stop all the BS’, stop hating each other, and he calls it ‘time out’. So I wanted to put myself in his clothes and stamp myself on the helmet.
“And also, I wanted to send an equality message [on the back] in different languages because I think it’s one of the most important things to remember. I think it’s important to remember that we are all the same. The coronavirus reminded us this in a bad way, but we need to remember it also for the good days. So, I think it was the best message to send and in the lightest way possible.”
Morbidelli will start Sunday’s San Marino Grand Prix from second on the grid between poleman Maverick Vinales and SRT team-mate Fabio Quartararo.
Franco Morbidelli, Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Related video
Misano poleman Vinales ‘doesn’t care’ about race result
Will introducing radios change the ‘DNA’ of MotoGP?
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
The MotoGP rookie fighting two fronts in his debut year
Darryn Binder has found himself in the unenviable position as MotoGP's most under-pressure rookie in 2022 having made the step directly from Moto3 with a reputation as an over-aggressive rider. This hasn't been an easy thing to shake at the start of the season, but he believes tangible progress is being made
How ‘Beast’ mode is putting Ducati in 2022 MotoGP title contention
Enea Bastianini’s second win of the 2022 campaign at COTA puts him back in the lead of the standings and once again showed the best Ducati package is still the 2021 bike. Those closest to Bastianini tell Motorsport.com why he’s so good on the GP21 relative to his factory counterparts.
How Espargaro helped Aprilia shed MotoGP's underdog tag
Aleix Espargaro became MotoGP's newest winner in a thrilling Argentina Grand Prix in which he also proved the merits of the Aprilia project. After six years of hard graft, both parties have reaped the rewards they have long thought they deserved. But it was several key moments in that journey that led both to that momentous Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo.