Morbidelli “feels trust” from Yamaha over his MotoGP future

The 2020 championship runner-up has endured a torrid spell in MotoGP since the 2021 season when he lost most of the campaign to a knee injury while also stepping up to the factory Yamaha squad midway through the year.

His form failed to improve in 2022 as Yamaha started to slip behind its rivals, with the Italian scoring just 42 points and a best result of seventh in the wet Indonesian Grand Prix.

Morbidelli has made a better start this term, scoring a best of fourth in the Argentina sprint and grand prix, and is just nine points behind Yamaha team-mate Fabio Quartararo after five rounds.

But Morbidelli’s Yamaha future beyond this season remains uncertain, with Pramac’s Jorge Martin linked to the Japanese marque.

During the Americas GP weekend, Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis said he wanted his rider line-up for 2024 to be finalised by the summer break at the end of June.

Speaking exclusively to Autosport during the French GP last month, Morbidelli says he still feels supported by Yamaha and much more now he has taken a step forward since the first half of 2022.

“When I speak with the Japanese and I speak with the guys from my team, I definitely feel that especially after the last part of last season and this beginning of the season, I feel that the trust is much more there,” he said.

Franco Morbidelli, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“But at the same time, I need to keep going, I need to keep pushing because it’s really complicated to survive, and to survive really requires a high amount of effort. So, I need to keep the energy high.”

Morbidelli also says he isn’t “panicking” about his situation and doesn’t have much doubt about his MotoGP future.

“No, not at all,” he replied when asked if he felt people had forgotten his past strong results.

“If I kept going like I was going at the beginning of last season, then yeah. Definitely, I’d be here panicking and thinking about what I will do.

“But I’m actually very, very trustful in my means now. The adversities that I had last year just made me a better person and a better rider, a better athlete, and a better professional. That’s what I wanted to do.

“I wanted to step up my game and give battle to the guy who makes the best results from the package I have.

“And it looks like that is happening this year and that’s the positive of this year, and that’s the thing that doesn’t take away my trust and doesn’t make me feel unsure about my future because I know the situation is difficult and I know how focused and how good you need to be to deal with the other guys in this situation.

“So, till you’re not sure about your future, you always have a bit of doubt – but not that much.”