Portimao MotoGP Test: Yamaha’s warning to Franco Morbidelli: ‘Important to be fast’

Massimo Meregalli has stated that Franco Morbidelli needs to ‘prove’ he can be fast in what is expected to be a defining season in his MotoGP career.
Franco Morbidelli, Yamaha MotoGP Portimao 2023
Franco Morbidelli, Yamaha MotoGP Portimao 2023

At great risk of being r💎eplaced at Yamaha should he fail to improve on last year, Morbi🐎delli is facing high pressure heading into the 2023 MotoGP season.

Morbidelli struggled through🌺out last season and looked like a shell of the rid🐎er that finished runner-up to Joan Mir in 2020.

While teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Fabio Quartararo found a major breakthrough on the final day of the Portimao test, Morbidel♌li again found it difficult as he ended pre-season testing with a disap🃏pointing P19 result.

But with that said, Morb🌳idelli feels as though the sm♐allest improvement could see him leap up the order. 

"These were busy days of testing," said Morbidelli: "We tried many things, did a lot of stuff, and did a lot of t🌺esting – that‘s what testing is for, so I‘m happy about that. 

"It will be important to analyse we﷽ll the data we‘ve gathered and make the right choices for the race weeke♍nd.

"Looking at the standings, 🔯our result may seem bad, bu🗹t in reality the gap is not so big, and the slightest improvement could move us up the order."

Franco Morbidelli, Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March
Franco Morbidelli, Portimao MotoGP test, 12 March

With 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Toprak Razgatlioglu and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jorge Martin just two names that have been rumoured as potential replacements for the Italian bey🌺ond 2023, bringing himself clos♋er to Quartararo will be the first objective to remaining in blue.

꧋After that, being a regular top ten finisher is the expectation despite Ducati and Aprilia seemingly having an edge over the rest of the grid. 

Portimao has been 🅰a good track for both Morbidelli and Quartararo in particular, so a strong start to the 🐼year is a real possibility, even if testing at the same circuit highlighted Yamaha’s shortcomings at times. 

Speaking about what the Japanese manufacturer wants to see from Morbidelli, Meregalli added: "It will be fundamental a🧸nd important for [Morbidelli] to prove to be fast. Because we all know what he is cap💫able of. 

"Last year❀ he showed us in Sepang a really good performance. This is what we expect this season. I saw he was more aggressive. I hope to see him in the position that he needs to be."

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