Breaking news
MotoGP
Morbidelli: ‘A-spec’ Yamaha not an advantage in 2021
Franco Morbidelli says he doesn’t believe keeping his current Yamaha MotoGP bike for 2021 will be an advantage despite the problems of the 2020 M1.
Lewis Duncan
Edited: Dec 16, 2020, 1:38 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Petronas SRT rider finished the 2020 season as top Yamaha rider in second in the standings with three wins, equal on victories with teammate Fabio Quartararo despite riding the older ‘A-spec’ M1 instead of the factory-spec 2020 bike.
Morbidelli was the most consistent Yamaha rider across the campaign, with the 2020 M1 riders only tallying up one further win courtesy of Maverick Vinales and three other podiums combined.
Despite this, Yamaha has once again elected against upgrading Morbidelli’s equipment having taken away the 2020 bike he was meant to ride this year before testing.
All three 2020 M1 riders were very critical of the bike, with Quartararo admitting last month he’d like to see if he could race the 2019 bike – which is essentially what Morbidelli is riding – next year.
Given the problems the factory riders have had this year, Morbidelli feels keeping his current package won’t offer him any greater benefit compared to his stablemates as it can’t be developed.
“No, because a new bike can develop,” he said when asked if keeping his ‘A-spec’ bike for 2021 would offer him better chances of top results compared to the current factory bike.
“You can work on it, you can develop it, you can make modifications, the factory is working on a direction of developing.
“My bike is that one, it’s that. I need to take out the maximum from it, from that package.
“Of course, there are some items that I can pick up from the factory and try to adapt to my bike
“But I always say that the latest bike is the best one because of this reason because you can and all the energies of the factory are on that package, are on that thing in order to make it grow and develop it.
“The newest and the latest bike is one with the most margin [to improve], my one is the one least margin.”
Read Also:
- Rossi: Yamaha engineers listen to riders but do what they want
- How Quartararo plans to bounce back from 2020 MotoGP struggles
When asked if he was happy to remain on the ‘A-spec’ bike next year, he replied: “Yeah, I am.”
Morbidelli will remain with SRT for at least the next two seasons, with mentor Valentino Rossi joining him as a factory-supported rider in 2021.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Rossi: Yamaha engineers listen to riders but do what they want
Next article KTM retains Pedrosa as MotoGP test rider for 2021
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Lewis Duncan
MotoGP 2025: Full rider line-up revealed
MotoGP
MotoGP
MotoGP 2025: Full rider line-up revealed
A year on from Marquez’s Germany MotoGP meltdown, has Honda improved?
MotoGP
MotoGP
German GP
A year on from Marquez’s Germany MotoGP meltdown, has Honda improved?
What’s behind MotoGP’s right-hander chaos in Germany practice?
MotoGP
MotoGP
German GP
What’s behind MotoGP’s right-hander chaos in Germany practice?
More from
Franco Morbidelli
The five riders leaving MotoGP in 2027 - and where they are headed next
MotoGP
MotoGP
The five riders leaving MotoGP in 2027 - and where they are headed next
VR46 signs Nicolo Bulega for 2027 MotoGP season
MotoGP
MotoGP
VR46 signs Nicolo Bulega for 2027 MotoGP season
Five MotoGP riders who need a big 2026 season
MotoGP
Five MotoGP riders who need a big 2026 season
More from
SIC Racing Team
Yamaha explains why Morbidelli wasn’t given factory bike
MotoGP
MotoGP
Yamaha explains why Morbidelli wasn’t given factory bike
Morbidelli felt he was Yamaha's ‘lowest-rated’ rider
MotoGP
MotoGP
Morbidelli felt he was Yamaha's ‘lowest-rated’ rider
Morbidelli delighted at runner-up spot in MotoGP standings
MotoGP
MotoGP
Portuguese GP
Morbidelli delighted at runner-up spot in MotoGP standings
Latest news
Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy's wildest and most impressive Talladega moments
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
7 min
Kyle Busch Remembered: Rowdy's wildest and most impressive Talladega moments
Lamborghini World Finals PRO-PRO/AM Race 2: Leitch/Stasi dominate to seal title
Lamborghini Super Trofeo
LBST Lamborghini Super Trofeo
World Finals - Monza 2026
53 min
Lamborghini World Finals PRO-PRO/AM Race 2: Leitch/Stasi dominate to seal title
Toto Wolff reveals he is actively vetting “two or three people” to replace him at Mercedes
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
Toto Wolff reveals he is actively vetting “two or three people” to replace him at Mercedes
Dakar Rally moves 2027 event out of Saudi Arabia; new location to be announced
Dakar
DAKR Dakar 1 h
Dakar Rally moves 2027 event out of Saudi Arabia; new location to be announced
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe