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At this particular period of time, everyone is forced to change their habits, considering the extraordinary measures to stem the coronavirus epidemic. Even the riders are not exempt from this and they must use their imagination to train and, like everyone else, to pass the time.
Franco Morbidelli has not lost heart however and he is taking advantage of the moment to cultivate other passions, not purely motorsport.
“I cannot follow the plan that we had but having this much time at home means I can try things I had to put to one side because of all the duties that I have during the racing season, that I didn’t have time for” he said. “I have some instruments and I am trying to learn to play them. It’s not easy!! I need to practice a lot! Maybe by the end of this thing I will be able to play the harmonica and ‘cajon’.”
The aim is not to become a rockstar, but the Petronas team rider is trying to keep himself in shape.
“I am training in the only way possible at the moment, at home” he explained. “I’m trying to stay in shape but without leaving my house. I can go running if I stay within the land boundaries of my household, so I am doing that, but not much more. Of course, it is not my usual training routine that I do at the gym, but I am staying in shape and staying sharp.”
It’s the only possibility as he waits to get back on his Yamaha M1 again, so for the moment the only race of the year – Moto2 and Moto3 - he watched on TV.
“I did watch the races in Qatar, John (McPhee) was awesome! He had a great race and was able to get the second spot, so that was good” was his comment on the GP race. “It was nice to be able to follow Xavi (Vierge) and Jake (Dixon) in Moto2 and also John and KIP in Moto3 but was also a bit sad, as I wasn’t there. It was nice because I could also follow my friends and cheer for them, without the pressure of the race there. There were mixed feelings though as you have the feeling that you are supposed to be there.”
Franco also had a message for everyone who is facing this difficult period.
“My message to all the Italian fans and people in the same situation around the world is to stay calm, take it easy, and respect what the World Health Organisation says” was his advice. “We should try to enjoy the time we are at home and get the maximum from it. We can do things at home that we usually don’t have time to do. For all the MotoGP fans: we are having a little bit of a rest right now but hopefully we will be on track soon. When we are, we’ll be able to go back to doing our thing with even more power and energy than before!”
