Valentino Rossi “must have had fun, watching his bike on top”
Valentino Rossi watches from the pit wall as Franco Morbidelli leads, survives mid-race drop and claims post-race Qatar podium.
With mentor and team boss Valentino Rossi watching from the pit wall, Franco Morbidelli led a MotoGP race for the first time since 2023 on his way to a ‘delayed’ podium finish.
Morbidelli had pounced for the lead after the Marquez brothers collided at Turn 1 then held it until just before half-distance.
But the tide turned quickly against him when Maverick Vinales triggered a wave of four riders passing Morbidelli in rapid succession.
“I started to panic a little bit,” the VR46 Ducati rider admitted, fearing he'd overheated his tyres.
Riding conservatively, Morbidelli later realised he may have backed off too much: “At the end I had more tyre and could overtake Zarco.”
That move for fourth turned into third when Vinales was punished with a post-race tyre pressure penalty, handing Morbidelli his first double-podium weekend in MotoGP.
“I’m sorry for Maverick because he did an unbelievable race,” said Morbidelli. “But I'm happy for me and for the team. Getting this P3 after the race is even more adrenaline.”
TV cameras showed seven-time world champion Rossi, wearing full VR46 team gear for the first time this weekend, watching the race unfold from the pit wall.
“Vale’s presence was worth a great performance and we managed to do that so I'm really happy,” Morbidelli said.
“Even the first 10 laps leading the race I was thinking about how much fun he must have had watching his bike on top.
“I'm really satisfied with the performance of the weekend and this ‘aftermath’ podium is a great ending.”
Qatar wasn’t the first time Morbidelli’s podium hopes depended on the outcome of a post-race tyre pressure penalty.
Morbidelli had been poised to move up to third in Indonesia last year when Pedro Acosta was put under investigation, only for the KTM rider to be left off due to a leaking wheel rim.
“I already had this experience last year with Acosta's podium in Indonesia,” Morbidelli said. “So I knew how nerve-racking it could have been. This time, I had a happier outcome.”
But Morbidelli also spared a thought for Vinales: “He was unbelievably fast. So that great speed stays.”
Morbidelli returns to Europe holding fourth place in the world championship.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
