2024 a “great year” despite lack of results on Ducati GP24

Franco Morbidelli has described 2024 as a “nice 12 months” for him regardless of failing to attain a grand prix podium on what was broadly thought to be the most effective bike on the grid.

After two torrid seasons at Yamaha’s manufacturing facility staff, Morbidelli moved to Pramac this 12 months alongside Jorge Martin, incomes the chance to trip Ducati’s newest GP24 prototype.

Nevertheless, a crash throughout coaching in January compelled him to overlook all official pre-season exams, that means he didn’t get to trip his new bike till the opening spherical of the season in Qatar in March.

After steadily acclimatising to the Desmosedici, the Italian started to attain promising outcomes and went into the summer season break with a fifth-place end within the German Grand Prix.

However he was by no means fairly in a position to extract the tempo of the bike that powered his team-mate Jorge Martin to the title, ending up a distant ninth within the championship behind all different GP24 runners.

However Morbidelli thinks it is very important put his struggles at Yamaha into context whereas analysing his marketing campaign, suggesting he must take only one step with a purpose to battle for victories for the primary time since 2020.

“General [it] was an important 12 months for the entire staff. It was an important 12 months for me as nicely,” he mentioned.

Franco Morbidelli, Pramac Racing

Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Pictures

“I got here again to battle for high spots and I am actually near high spots. I am trying ahead to creating these final steps that enable me to get there and catch wins and podiums as I want to – and constantly, as I want to. 

“However total it was an important 12 months for the staff and me as nicely. We did an important comeback from the start of the 12 months, from previous two years. It is a optimistic season.

He added: “I misplaced some factors [at the beginning of the year]. I believe I might have fought for P5 within the championship. Not P4, not P3, neither P2 or P1. However P5, I might have fought for it.”

Morbidelli confirmed flashes of tempo throughout the 12 months, however wasn’t fairly in a position to convert his inherent pace into outcomes. As an illustration, he rode spectacularly within the moist in Buriram to rise from eleventh to sixth early on, solely to then choose up a penalty for forcing his former team-mate Fabio Quartararo right into a crash.

The 29-year-old, who will transfer to VR46 in 2025, defined there are nonetheless some areas he must work on with a purpose to carry out at his potential.

“I did not handle to win this 12 months. I acquired a podium simply as soon as in a dash race [at Misano]. For positive there’s room to enhance. There are nonetheless issues to handle nicely,” he mentioned.

“Additionally as a result of it all the time looks as if I’ve acquired the pace however [there was] all the time one thing lacking in a race.

“In all probability I must work higher with the staff, work higher for arranging the setting and issues for the race.”

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