Morbidelli was one of many first riders to be taken underneath Rossi’s wing when the VR46 Academy was based in 2014, with the Italian occurring to win the Moto2 crown in 2017.
Having stepped as much as MotoGP in 2018, Morbidelli missed out on the title in 2020 by simply 13 factors after taking three wins and ending runner-up within the standings.
However since then Morbidelli’s type has vanished, with a knee damage plaguing him all through 2021 and difficulties adapting to the manufacturing unit Yamaha resulting in a depressing 2022 marketing campaign.
Ending final 12 months with simply 42 factors down in 19th within the standings, Morbidelli’s type is a thriller to Rossi’s right-hand man and VR46 workforce director Uccio Salucci.
“I do not know, to be trustworthy,” Salucci instructed Autosport’s Spanish sister publication Motorsport.es when requested what’s gone fallacious with Morbidelli.
“If I am trustworthy I can not reply your query.
“I am going to let you know one factor, the Academy and Vale personally, is true now 60% centered on Franco Morbidelli and 40% on the opposite riders.
“We’re working lots with him. It isn’t simple, however I am not in a position to reply your query what’s fallacious with him.
Franco Morbidelli, Yamaha Manufacturing facility Racing
Picture by: MotoGP
“It isn’t only one factor, it is a variety of little issues that come collectively that we’re not in a position to perceive.
“We hope that this 12 months he might be aggressive. However now, sadly, I can not offer you a solution.”
Morbidelli signed a two-year contract with Yamaha halfway via 2021, protecting him in place on the manufacturing unit squad for 2023 regardless of his difficulties final season.
Final month, Autosport revealed that Yamaha had been involved with Moto2 race winner Alonso Lopez, initially as a prospect for a possible satellite tv for pc squad.
Ought to Yamaha be unable to safe a satellite tv for pc companion for 2024 (with hyperlinks to VR46, who’s contracted to Ducati till the tip of 2024, repeatedly talked about and refuted) and Morbidelli proceed to wrestle, he may discover his seat on the manufacturing unit squad underneath menace.
Rossi concluded his MotoGP profession on the finish of 2021 and has since switched to automobile racing, turning into a BMW manufacturing unit driver in sportscars this 12 months.
