Former MotoGP crew chief Ramon Forcada has lavished reward on Franco Morbidelli following his podium return in Argentina, noting that he’s “not sufficient of a jerk to be a rider”.
Since ending runner-up within the standings in a breakout 2020 marketing campaign that noticed him win three grands prix, Franco Morbidelli has confronted quite a few trials within the premier class.
Ageing Yamaha equipment adopted by a prolonged harm lay-off after which a change to a manufacturing facility bike curtailed his 2021 season, whereas the next two years with the Japanese marque had been lower than fruitful.
His 2024 marketing campaign was additionally hindered by a pre-season concussion, which denied him of any testing time on the Pramac-run Ducati and left him enjoying catch-up.
Discovering a spot on the grid for 2025 with VR46 aboard a 2024-spec Ducati, Morbidelli scored his first grand prix podium since 2021 when he was third on the Argentina GP.
Presently, he sits fourth within the standings after two rounds and is simply six factors again of double world champion Pecco Bagnaia on the manufacturing facility Ducati.
Forcada, who labored with the likes of Jorge Lorenzo and Maverick Vinales in a glittering MotoGP profession, was Morbidelli’s crew chief at Petronas SRT.
Talking on three-time world champion Lorenzo’s podcast, Forcada mentioned of Morbidelli: “Franco is a good expertise and an awesome man.
“Morbidelli is a kind of guys who’s not sufficient of a jerk to be a rider.
“When he’s on the observe, he’s a kind of riders who wants all the pieces to work out. However when he lowers his visor, he does no matter he needs – regardless, even, if it entails [Marc] Marquez or [Pecco] Bagnaia.
“He’s a quiet man, the type of who hides his accidents.
“He doesn’t prefer to be regarded as one who appears for excuses or justifications if he occurs to say he had an issue.
“So, more often than not, he prefers to say nothing and hold quiet.”
Morbidelli is barely contracted with VR46 for the present season and is already dealing with exterior stress to maintain that journey past 2025.
The continued points at KTM and its poor begin to the 2025 season have led to rumours that Pedro Acosta might depart the Austrian model, along with his title linked to Ducati and VR46.
Acosta is at the moment contracted with KTM to the top of 2026.
