Franco Morbidelli’s Stunning Comeback to 4th at British GP

Franco Morbidelli called his ride to fourth place at the British Grand Prix “amazing” after bouncing back from a first-lap crash. Riding for the VR46 Racing Team, Morbidelli was knocked down by Aleix Espargaro’s bike just moments after the start.

Despite pain and uncertainty about injury, he managed to take the restart and carved his way up through the field, finishing fourth in his 200th MotoGP start. He missed a podium by just 0.017 seconds, finishing right behind Marc Marquez after a tight last-lap fight for third place.

Morbidelli said he did everything he could in the final laps, but Marquez – an eight-time world champion – got the better of him in the head-to-head. For more on Marquez’s career achievements, visit the MotoGP official records page.

The weekend was filled with drama for Morbidelli and his team. After the opening-lap incident and a penalty that forced him to start from 13th, he kept working with his crew to adjust settings and stay focused.

Morbidelli described the experience as “a bit bitter” since he came so close to the podium, but he celebrated the team’s effort and called it a happy ending after the challenges they faced. He highlighted the important work of his mechanics, especially after the crash, saying that without their timely repairs he could not have continued.

Aleix Espargaro explained his side of the incident, saying he braked late to give more space but lost control, causing his bike to hit Morbidelli. Espargaro said he apologized and tried to clarify that it was not intentional, but admitted the situation was difficult.

The crash also brought back memories for Morbidelli, reminding him of a clash with Espargaro at Misano in 2020 that cost him valuable championship points. Despite the pain from his fall at Silverstone, Morbidelli stayed focused on picking up as many positives as he could.

Morbidelli’s teammate, Fabio Di Giannantonio, also delivered a strong performance over the weekend. Di Giannantonio finished third in Saturday’s sprint but slipped to tenth in the main Grand Prix, saying brake problems made it hard to stop the bike and hurt his race.

He moved up to ninth place after post-race penalties, which included 16-second time drops for riders whose tire pressures were below the limit. Di Giannantonio said he felt “pissed” about missing a bigger result, but still saw encouraging signs to build on before the next race in Aragon.

Post-race penalties affected several riders, including Luca Marini, Enea Bastianini, Lorenzo Savadori, and Somkiat Chantra. These penalties were handed out for running lower tire pressures than allowed, affecting their final standings. For more on MotoGP’s tire pressure regulations, check the FIM’s official sporting regulations.

The British Grand Prix also saw strong rides from Marco Bezzecchi, who claimed a surprise win for Aprilia in the challenging conditions, and Fabio Quartararo, who had an emotional response to his own race outcome.

Morbidelli, now 30, has a long record in MotoGP, with 173 points collected in 2024 and a history of wins and podiums across Moto2 and MotoGP. His career includes a Moto2 World Championship in 2017, three premier class wins, and multiple top-six finishes. Learn more about his career stats on MotoGP’s rider profile page.

After recent seasons marked by injury and team changes, his fourth-place at Silverstone marks one of his strongest showings of the year with his new team.

The British Grand Prix delivered upsets and intense on-track action, with many riders battling both the tricky Silverstone circuit and unpredictable weather. With Aragon next on the calendar, teams are already preparing for another showdown as the MotoGP championship continues.

Morbidelli and VR46 Racing Team are looking to carry their momentum into the next round, aiming for a first podium of the season. For more details on team strategies and contracts, see the latest MotoGP contract board updates.