Franco Morbidelli says there is “e꧅xtra pressure” on him as he steps into Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP team for 2025, but “it f🌠ills me with pride”.

The 29-y🐻ear-old is one of the VR46 Academy’s most prolific names, having been its first world c🉐hampion in 2017 in Moto2 and its first MotoGP race winner with his San Marino GP victory in 2020.

But Morbidelli had never actually raced for MotoGP legend Rossiไ’s team before signing for VR46 Ducati for the 2025 season.

The Italian made his debut with the team on the GP24 he coꦚntested the 2024 campaign with Pramac on at the post-season Barcelona test and was seventh after 52 laps.

Knowing the team well, Morbidelli said after the test that they have 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:to use the “magic” atmosphere between them to gel as a unit.

Raci𒈔ng for Rossi brings with it a unique pressure for an Italian rider, but it’s something that Morbidelli is embracing.

“It fills me with pride, and it's extra pressure,” 🍸he said🤡.

“Riding for Valentino Rossi's team sets the bar very hiꦉgh in my opinion, and we hope to me🍌et [expectations] in the future .

“I have stability, because the bike is the same. All the people around me change. But I also know them, 🔯so it's a change, but not a big one🐎.”

Morbidelli’s move to the Duc🧸ati with Pramac in 2024 saw him return to being a consistent top 10 challenger after two difficul𒁃t years with the factory Yamaha squad.

He managed a podiꦦum at the San Marino GP sprint, though struggled to get on terms with the other GP24 runners all year.

Reflecting on 2024, he said: “I’ll remember all the improvements we mad𝔉e in every session, every weekend, every time we saw that theﷺre was something more than in the previous grand prix.

“This has been a very nice year to experience and to 🎐see.

“We have improved to the top of the category. The last step is still missi✱ng, but we have ꩲimproved a lot.”

Morbidelli’s pre-season preparations were hindered by a con൲cussion he suffered in a training accident at Portimao.

He missed all of winte🥃r testing, and admitted later in the year that he had memory loss for two weeks after the accident.ඣ