MotoGP Mandalika: Morbidelli adds penalty to qualifying crash, ‘I made a mistake’

Monster Energy Yamaha’s Franky Morbidelli had a difficult day at work in Indonesia after a penalty amplified his poor qualifying.

Having topped the FP4 session on 1’31.968 pace, an early crash as Q2 got underway saw the Italian slide out at high speed on the damp patches of turn five. His M1 obliterated as it rolled through the gravel.

Morbidelli failed to improve on his final effort, completing the session 12th overall but with post-flat sanctions handed down for ‘irresponsible riding causing danger to other competitors’ during the FP3 practice start procedure, he will line up in 15th on Sunday’s grid.

“It was not our day today,” Morbidelli confirmed from Mandalika.

“I made a mistake on a wet patch in the first time attack and then in the second time attack I took it too easy, and I couldn‘t improve my lap time.

“That‘s unfortunate but we are confident because we have a good pace. This is true. We will try to refine some more things for tomorrow, and we‘ll try to make a good race. We start from far behind, we all know that it‘s going to be difficult, but we‘ll try anyway. We have a good speed, so who knows?

“About the penalty, it is right. It was my fault. I made a mistake and I‘m sorry. I won‘t do it again,” he concluded.