As the 2021 MotoGP season returns to Europe this weekend for round thꩵr✤ee at Portimao, it will be a very welcome sight for Franco Morbidelli who endured a difficult Qatar double header. 

The Petronas Ya😼maha rider remains one of the title favourites, but has accumulated just four points heading into the Portuguese Grand Prix. 

However, the Algarve International Circuit is 🍌the scene of his last podium as he claimed t🍌hird place during last season’s final race. 

Speaking ahead of this weekend, ꦆMorbidelli said: "After being on the podium in Portugal last year, I hope that we can regain our good pace and be in contention for a good result again tꦯhis weekend. 

"Every race is different though so we will have to wait and see how we a✅re once we 𝓡are out on track. 

"We have the d🌞ata from last year and we know that we were fast, so at l🗹east we will have something to use as a comparison."  

Wiಌth Morbidelli once again the only Yamaha rider on a year old M1 spec machine, the next f🍸ew rounds will tell us whether the 2020 package can showcase more consistency than it demonstrated last year. 

Morbidelli suffered mechanical💞 issues during the second Qatar weekend which affected his Friday running, but the 2020 cham🦂pionship runner-up believes the team is making steps in the right direction. 

"We are improving each race and we’ve been 𒐪trying to understand what happened in the bike set up during our time in Qatar,ღ" added Morbidelli. 

"Hopefully we have founℱd some improvements and can continue in a positive direction this weekওend."