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A decidedly positive start to the American weekend for Franco Morbidelli who, at the end of the second free practice session, conquered the Q2 by taking the reins of his GP24. The Italian reached a seventh best time in the time attack, placing his wheels ahead of the three Ducatis, seven tenths behind his teammate, Martin, the fastest on the track today. A result in the Q2 that makes the young Italian-Brazilian rider breathe a sigh of relief, after a start to the season that was complicated by an injury during the tests.
"It was a very positive day," Morbidelli stated. "We managed to stay in the fastest group in both sessions, obtaining a good result in the fastest lap. Today, we progressed, compared to Portimao, and this makes me happy. The team worked well and deserves this result, Now we’ll continue to work to further improve."
Is this also due to the bike or did it trigger something in you?
"Basically, I have neither the experience nor the kilometers on this bike. In a race day, you do a maximum of twenty-five laps while, during tests, you can do eighty, ninety, or even one hundred. And I missed five of those days. Those one hundred extra laps would’ve been useful for me at the beginning of the season, in order to get to know the bike better. But, instead, I had to use those twenty laps in the last races to do it, and I did it while still leaving something behind. So, we moved calmly. It hasn't been easy but, with the team, we’re taking the right steps. The objective is to be able to reach a level that allows us to fight up front, consistently."
Compared to last year in Yamaha, what makes you happiest about this Ducati in tackling this track?
"I'll be honest. I haven't thought about it much. At the moment, I'm just focusing on improving my riding style and getting to know this GP24 better," Morbidelli commented.
