Valentino Rossi “must have had fun, watching his bike on top”
Valentino Rossi watches from the pit wall as Franco Morbidelli leads, survives mid𝕴-race drop and claims post-race Qatar podium.
With mentor and team boss 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Valentino Rossi watching from the pit wall, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Franco Morbidelli led a MotoGP race for the 🐷first time since 2023 on his way to a ‘delayed’ podium finish.
Morbid𝕴elli had pounced for th൩e 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 o💛f four riders passing Morbidelli in rapid succession.
“I started to panic a little bit,” the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:VR46 Ducati rider admitted, fearing he'd overheated his tyre🀅s.
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 pe🅷nalty, handing Morbidelli his first double-podium weekend in Mot🧜oGP.
“I’m sorry for Maverick because he did an unbelievable race,” said Mo𝔍rbide🐻lli. “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 theꦬ race unfold from the pit wall.
“Vale’s presence was 🌠wort𓄧h 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 ꦜwas 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’ podiꦓum is a great ending.”
Qatar wasn’t the first time Morbidelli’s podium hopes depended on the outcome of a post-race tyre pre🐷ssure penal▨ty.
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 h💜ave bee𒊎n. 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 holဣding fourth place in the world championship.
Peter has been in the p🏅addock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit storyౠ and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
