Valentino Rossi team star’s “chances pretty open” for 2025 MotoGP season
“We are in the mix”
VR46 Ducati MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli believes his chances of fighting the factory competitors in the 2025 season are “pretty open”.
The 2020 championship runner-up has enjoyed a strong winter on the GP24 he raced last year having switched over to the team owned by his mentor Valentino Rossi.
At the end of this week’s Buriram MotoGP test, Morbidelli was seventh overall and completed a solid race run of 18 laps.
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With the factory Ducati team starting the year with 2024 engines, and more than likely 2024 aero and chassis designs, the gap between satellite and factory machinery for the Italian brand is smaller than it was last season.
When asked about how Morbidelli reckons this will impact his opportunities of fighting at the front of the field in 2025, he said: “My chances are pretty open.
“We were very quick in this test. We did the best we could. We are in the mix, so our chances are pretty open.
“It’s look like there is some improvements to do to catch up to Marc [Marquez]. The time attack, especially, also the race pace a little bit. But also on the time attack.”
Morbidelli added after Thursday’s running at Buriram: “Very happy with today. It was our last day of pre-season, of a really promising pre-season.
“We started amazingly with the new team. We worked very well with everybody inside the crew.
“We felt very good altogether. And we worked in the best way to prepare ourselves for the season.
“The long run was good, the conditions were really hot but we did a long run for the race distance.
“Pace was decent. Looks like there’s a big group behind Marc, who is a little bit ahead of everybody on this track.
“That’s how it looks, but maybe in the race weekend things can change pretty quickly.”
Morbidelli has already been complimentary of his new team surrounding, having known the VR46 crew for much of his life.
But he once again reiterated this, praising the ‘passion’ that comes from the garage.
“We are a big bunch of passionate guys and guys that made history in this sport,” he said.
“So, apart from a big bunch of passionate guys there is also a group of history-making people inside the team.
“And that makes a really good combination of human strength inside that crew.”
Quotes provided by Crash Indonesian Editor Derry Munikartono
