Franco Morbidelli Maintains Strong Form to Lead Friday Practice: “Valentino’s Presence Is Invaluable” – MotoGP 2025 Qatar GP
Franco Morbidelli continued his impressive early-season form by setting the fastest time in Friday’s night practice session at the Qatar Grand Prix. After finishing FP1 in sixth place, Morbidelli significantly improved both his pace and rhythm under the lights, ultimately clocking a best time of 1’50.830 to top the time sheets. Riding bike #21, he now looks to carry this momentum into Saturday’s qualifying and Sprint race.
Franco Morbidelli:
“It was the perfect way to start the weekend. In the afternoon session, I quickly found a good feeling with the bike. We had a few small issues at the beginning of the second session, but once we put on the fresh tires, I was able to go really fast, and that made me very happy.
We still need to work on being more consistent, both with the soft and medium tires. Especially with the medium—I struggled a bit at first.”
Morbidelli also highlighted the role of Valentino Rossi, who was present in the garage and continues to play a key mentoring role as part of the VR46 team.
“Right after the session, I spoke with Valentino. You can really feel his presence in the garage, and his advice is pure gold. Starting a weekend like this with him here in Lusail is something really special.
I want to keep this momentum going. The team did an amazing job today. The grip on track will change tomorrow, and it’s going to be hotter, but the goal is to fight for the front row and be fully ready for the Sprint.”
(Photo courtesy of VR46)