MotoGP: Morbidelli 'working' on 'clear opportunity' with Yamaha

Franco Morbidelli has reiterated “nothing is 100 percent sure” regarding his plans for 2019, and admitted he is awaiting Marc VDS to confirm its plans for MotoGP beyond this year before announcing his plans.

The reigning Moto2 world champion is expected to take one of the seats in the new SIC Yamaha satellite squad that will be taking over Team Angel Nieto’s MotoGP grid slots for 2019.

Morbidelli is in the first of a two-year deal with the Marc VDS squad, and would have to get out of that before signing with SIC Yamaha, which he admitted to be a “clear opportunity.”

“We are working and there is this clear opportunity to go with another team and with Yamaha,” said Morbidelli. “We are trying to understand the situation with my team right now. We are trying to understand how it would be if I go to this other team. At the moment, from my part, nothing is 100 percent sure.

“We are just working to understand some things. We are dealing with some things. Gianluca [Falcioni – managing director] from VR46 and all the guys from VR46 are discussing all the things you discuss when you are discussing with a team. That’s all I can say actually.

“There is a little bit of doubt on this team [Marc VDS] racing [in MotoGP] next year. This was a little bit of a surprise and we are trying to understand whether this team is going to race or not. I just want to find a bike to ride next year.”

So he has a contract with Marc VDS for 2019?

“Yeah, I think so,” he replied.

And that’s why there is a delay regarding the announcement with SIC Yamaha?

“Maybe,” he enigmatically offered. “I let [VR46 Academy] work. I let [Falcioni] do his job and I let him work. I have to be really concentrated on what I’m doing here because I have to be concentrated this year.”

Turning attentions to the weekend ahead, Morbidelli is aiming to ride in spite of a broken bone in his left hand, which was sustained in a fast FP3 fall at Assen just under a fortnight ago.

“All good so far,” said the Italian, who won last year’s Moto2 outing in Germany. “The fracture is recovering pretty well so I decided to come and try to race.”

“It is a left-hand circuit but what gave me confidence is that it’s a track when you spend a lot of time on the edge, so you don’t have to make a lot of changes in direction. I have to check it out tomorrow, but I’m hoping so [that it’s steadier]. If it was Austin or Assen I would have been a bit more daunted about coming. But this track I’m hoping and I’m quite confident the situation is going to be better.”

Regaining the momentum he found on the opening day at Assen is the priority: “It’s very, very tough but we were doing very well actually. I don’t want to cut any ribbon. I want to continue working with my crew, to ride this bike even if we are not super fast it’s really good fun. I did not want to stay on the couch. I preferred to come.”

And his thoughts on the possibility of the German Grand Prix moving away from the Sachsenring? “I speak for myself, but I’m really close to this track,” he said.

“Since the first year I came here in 2014 I was really fast. I don’t know why. I won last year and two years I was first and I crashed. Three years ago I was first and made the record and then I crashed in the last corner with Tito [Rabat].

“The first year I was able to fight with the top guys and I don’t know why, but this track seems to suit my style in some way with the Moto2. I was very curious to see how it is with the MotoGP.

“I speak for myself, but it would be a shame. You can talk to another rider and they say it’s very narrow, it’s very short and it looks like a pocket-bike track. But I speak for myself and say that I like it.”

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