Franco Morbidelli’s ongoing difficulties in MotoGP continued at last weekend’s Czech Grand Prix, after which the VR46 Ducati man wondered out loud if he had forgotten how to ride a MotoGP bike.
“I did the maximum today,” he said wearily on Sunday evening. “I had a better start compared to yesterday. I tried to maximise the performance every lap. I made very few mistakes. I tried to make the maximum in every single lap… and another P14 came out.
“I didn’t have any performance at all. I didn’t have any grip at all. I’ve been struggling a lot with grip since the beginning of the year. Nothing seems to change.
“I don’t know, maybe I forgot how to ride a MotoGP [bike].”
Morbidelli’s form has hit new lows this season, to the point where the man who finished second, and won three races, in the 2020 world championship is almost certain to lose his spot on the MotoGP grid for next season.
The Roman was under no illusions about his problems, highlighting a lack of race performance as the key issue.
“In Barcelona, I was on the front row. Then at Mugello, I had an unbelievable pace. A really good pace throughout Friday, throughout Saturday… until the races,” he lamented. “Maybe when the races come, I forget how to ride the MotoGP.”
Asked if pressure arising from his lack of future options was affecting his performance on the track, the 2017 Moto2 champion said: “Listen, I live with pressure. I’ve been racing since I was seven.
Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team
Photo by: Stephen Blackberry/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“I’ve been dealing with pressure all my life. I’ve been dealing with the pressure of winning a world championship. I’m not afraid of going home if I’m not worth it.
“I’m not here to warm up my seat and get my pay cheque. I’m here to perform, to win, to do the maximum that I can.
“At the moment, it’s not coming. Even though the team, the crew, myself, we are doing the maximum. We are giving our soul to do something.”
Morbidelli then moved on to a more positive tone, saying there was still hope for an improvement later in the season.
“Thankfully, we are not people that give up,” he added. “The team is full of people who don’t give up. We have a great atmosphere inside the team. We are ready to give everything we have in every single moment. Hopefully, we will come out from this situation.”
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