MEET OUR RIDER
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
Born in Rome on December 12, 1994, The son of a racer, Franco has been riding bikes since he was old enough to walk thanks to his father, a former racer, who built his son’s first bike when he was two years old.
After moving to Pesaro, near Tavullia, Franco’s racing education started with the smaller categories and two years of success led to a season racing in the Cuna de Campeones series. His next step was the European Superstock 600 Championship, winning the title in 2013.
Morbidelli’s good results opened the door for three wildcard rides in the 2013 Moto2 World Championship at the San Marino, Japanese, and Valencian Grands Prix. The following season he was offered a full-time spot in the series, finishing fourth in 2016 and then, after eight wins and 12 podiums, he was crowned Moto2 World Champion in 2017.
Following his inaugural year in MotoGP in 2018, Franco joined the PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team in 2019 and showed his talent again, achieving his personal best finish of fifth place four times and qualified on the front row in three races.
In 2020, Franco delivered exceptionally well, overcoming some technical issues to deliver three wins and take second in the overall rider standings, finishing as the top independent rider.
2021 would have been Franco’s third season with PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team, but it was cut short by a knee injury. After a lengthy recovery process he stepped up to the Yamaha Factory team, debuting on the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP M1 at his home circuit for the San Marino GP. The final five races of the season were physically demanding for the recovering Italian, he made good progress and is looking forward to a competitive 2022 season now that he is recovered from the injury.