Morbidelli, Luthi take test mileage to Silverstone

Marc VDS MotoGP rookies Franco Morbidelli and Thomas Luthi arrive at this weekend's Silverstone round boosted by a day of private testing at Misano on Sunday.

Morbidelli, set to be officially confirmed as a 2019 SIC Yamaha rider on Friday, is currently two points behind Tech3's Hafizh Syahrin in the fight for top rookie honours.

“The Misano test was a good one for me because it allowed me precious time you don’t have during a race weekend to understand more about the bike," Morbidelli said. "And it was obviously important to be present so I had time to learn the track on a MotoGP bike and get some data for when we return for the race next month. 

"We made a lot of laps and I had a lot of fun on the bike and we also used the test with one eye on Silverstone. I’m really looking forward to this weekend because Silverstone is long but very fast and you get the chance to unleash the full potential of a MotoGP bike. My goal is clear and that is to be competitive from FP1 and to be fighting back inside the points again.”

Luthi, returning to Moto2 in 2019, also enjoyed the chance to for testing on his RC213V as he continues his quest for premier-class points. The Swiss has a strong record at Silverstone, including a narrow Moto2 victory over Morbidelli in 2016 when he charged through the pack from tenth on the grid.

“The Misano test was positive from the point of view that when I go back for the race next month then I have experience of the track on a MotoGP bike, which is always a bonus. It was incredibly hot in Misano but we could play with some things on the bike that I hope will allow me to be stronger in the next races," Luthi said.

"Silverstone always poses a tough challenge because the layout is wide and fast and the weather can also play a big part. Hopefully the weather will be fine because it is a pleasure to ride at such a fast and historic track like Silverstone. My goal is to try and reduce the gap to the front guys and to be in the points.”