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Besides the Marquez brothers' domination, the Argentine GP also celebrated Franco Morbidelli's return to the podium after he had been absent for various years. For the Italian-Brazilian rider, the result on Argentine soil was worth a victory, after years of problems and the criticism he received. MotoGP crew chief Ramon Forcada, with whom Morbidelli came close to the world title in 2020, behind Joan Mir's Suzuki, spoke about this and other topics. During Jorge Lorenzo's Duralavida podcast, Forcada didn't mince words, and had his say about Morbidelli, while also commenting on how surprising Zarco's and Mir's Honda was, on Bagnaia's difficulties, and also on the Marquez brothers' current domination.
"Franco is a great talent and a great guy," Ramon Forcada began. "Morbidelli is one of those guys who's not enough of a jerk to be a rider. When he's on the track, he's one of those riders who needs everything to work. But, when he lowers his visor, he does whatever he wants, regardless, even if it involves Marquez or Bagnaia. He's a quiet guy, the kind who hides his injuries. He doesn't like to be thought of as one who looks for excuses or justifications if he happens to say he had a problem. So, most of the time, he prefers to say nothing and keep quiet."
However, Forcada seems optimistic when it comes to Bagnaia's problems at the start of this championship. Pecco has always taken time to tailor the bike to himself and, when he succeeds, he'll be able to show his true potential.
"Pecco is one of only three guys to have won two world championships in a row. One is Pecco, the other Valentino, the third is Marquez. Is he in a difficult situation? Yes, technically, psychologically, and mentally, and we don't know how long it'll take for him to sort it out. But, when he does, he can compete with Marc. A few years ago at the Sachsering, he was ninety points behind and then won the title. We can't give up on him."
The challenge with Marquez won't be easy. The Spanish champion seems to have already fully adapted to the GP24.9 and, at the moment, he seems far ahead of his rivals.
"Pecco's situation will improve, but maybe it won't be enough to overtake Marquez. The truth is, Marc now has a big advantage. He started the weekends well. We all remember the crazy nights in Valentino's garage, when things weren't going well, and then the Virgin Mary appeared, and everything was perfect. Marc doesn't need that because he's already up in front on the first lap of the first day."
His only and main rival right now seems to be his younger brother: another surprise at start of this championship, after a 2024 that was below expectations. But, according to the crew chief, his current level isn't enough to surpass his older brother.
"Alex? I see the Marquez brothers as a partnership. The little one of the two brothers is the real surprise, but I never thought he'd get a chance to beat his older brother. He left room for him so that he could go with him. Then he overtook him, and everyone believed that Alex could get ahead, but not them. What we saw in Thailand and last Sunday is their partnership against everybody else. And their partnership is winning. But that partnership has a CEO, which is Marc Marquez."
What also surprised the Spanish crew chief was Honda's accomplishment in the last races, thanks to Zarco's and Mir's performances.
"The MotoGP is a strange world. Romano Albesiano and Aleix Espargarò have definitely brought some added value with them, but they haven't yet had time to lay the foundations for the current bike. Things don't add up. Last year, Mir said everything he testsed was a disaster, but the bike he's riding now is a mix of those things."
