Forced to settle for a single twelfth place finish from the Qatar season-openers, MotoGP title runner-up Franco Morbidelli was back to last year's form - literally - at Portimao. The Petronas Yamaha rider completed the 25-lap race distance in a time just 0.078s slower than he had done at the same circuit in November. Last year it had been good enough for third, 3.3s from victory, while this season it left him fourth, 5.1s from the winner. At face value, such statistics sum-up Morbidelli's technical situation; still using the same bike specification as last year while his rivals have made progress over the winter. During a video chat a few days after the race, the Italian chose to see the...
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