2024 a “nice yr” regardless of lack of outcomes on Ducati GP24

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

After two torrid seasons at Yamaha’s manufacturing facility crew, Morbidelli moved to Pramac this yr alongside Jorge Martin, incomes the chance to journey Ducati’s newest GP24 prototype.

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

After progressively acclimatising to the Desmosedici, the Italian started to attain promising outcomes and went into the summer time 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 to be able to combat for victories for the primary time since 2020.

“General [it] was a terrific yr for the entire crew. It was a terrific yr for me as nicely,” he mentioned.

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

“However general it was a terrific yr for the crew and me as nicely. We did a terrific comeback from the start of the yr, from previous two years. It is a optimistic season.

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

Morbidelli confirmed flashes of tempo in the course of the yr, however wasn’t fairly in a position to convert his inherent velocity into outcomes. For example, 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 to be able to carry out at his potential.

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

“Additionally as a result of it at all times looks as if I’ve bought the velocity however [there was] at all times one thing lacking in a race.

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