The Yamaha paradox: Morbidelli better than Quartararo on his farewell weekend

It’s of little consolation for Franco Morbidelli no doubt, but over the Silverstone weekend the Italian was clearly the first rider – in terms of results – in the Yamaha garage. The numbers say it all, with Franco qualifying eleventh on the grid on Saturday before finishing fifteenth in the sprint, compared to last place for Fabio Quartararo in qualifying and penultimate position in the sprint.

And if the weather looked to be an excuse, things were much the same on Sunday, with Franco – forced to switch tyres when the front gave in – closing ahead of Fabio, who was in turn conditioned by a contact with Luca Marini. All during what was a black weekend for Yamaha overall, the difference between the riders objectively small, although Morbidelli did slightly better.

Morbidelli rises above the regret

Morbidelli went into the British weekend with understandably low morale, having officially split with Yamaha. As Franco himself says, this decision was largely down to the Iwata manufacturer, which has opted for Alex Rins over the Italian.

A decision that may pay off next year but that seems difficult to comprehend right now, particularly considering that Morbidelli appears to be competing at the same level as his team-mate. With the exception of Quartararo’s podium at Austin, the two Yamaha riders have scored similar results to date (Morbidelli’s best a fourth place in Argentina), with the Frenchman lying just six points ahead of the Italian in the general standings.

It’s time for Morbidelli to think about the future anyway, because his goal now – as well as pushing to end 2023 on a high – is to find a ride for next season. A Ducati – Mooney or Gresini – would be the dream, but let’s not rule out a return to Honda, perhaps in place of Rins, the very man who will take his place at Yamaha.