Franco Morbidelli urged “to think a bit more” as criticism grows

Herve Poncharal says he hopes Franco Morbidelli “is going to think a bit more in the future” after his contact with Maverick Vinales in the Italian MotoGP that left the Spaniard in the turn four gravel trap.

Maverick Vinales was fourth when Franco Morbidelli collided with him at the apex of turn four at Mugello last Sunday and, given the way Francesco Bagnaia’s pace dropped off in the final part of the Italian MotoGP – which allowed Fabio Di Giannantonio to catch him for third – the possibility would also appear to have been there for Vinales in the closing stages – theoretically.

At least, Morbidelli’s move cost Vinales a chance to fight for the podium, a rostrum finish that KTM as a factory has been without in 2025, and which Vinales has missed since his victory at the Circuit of the Americas last April.

Tech3 KTM Team Principal Poncharal said that, while he accepted that the penalty applied (single long lap penalty) was the one appropriate as per the rules, it was not sufficient for the action of Morbidelli, which was adjudged to have caused Vinales to crash.

“Simon [Crafar] is a good friend of mine and the rule is the rule,” Poncharal explained, speaking on the MotoGP international TV feed during Practice at the Dutch TT.

“So, Simon is the referee, he’s doing the job perfectly well, and he’s got to follow the rule. “For me, the penalty was not big enough. At the end of the day, this is just to warn the riders ‘Don’t do that’.

“But it doesn’t matter what the penalty would have been, even a black flag wouldn’t have changed our race and I don’t really care.

“I really hope Franky [Franco Morbidelli] is going to think a bit more in the future.”

Morbidelli’s move at Mugello cost Vinales a chance at the podium in Italy, but Poncharal took early optimism from Vinales’ performance and feedback at Assen, where he finished FP1 second and Practice eighth.

“I think everyone deserves good results, but he [Vinales] really deserved that podium,” Poncharal said.

“You never know what is going to happen at the next race, but it looks like here he feels really good – he’s happy with the bike, he’s happy with how everything is working, the whole behaviour of the package.

“We have another chance, but I’m not dreaming too high because we have six Ducatis, Aprilia is strong, Yamaha is strong [in this] track – don’t [discount] Honda.

“Everything is so close that it’s a dream, but it’s a possible dream.”

Morbidelli's old rival Aleix Espargaro had aimed a jab at him on social media after the Vinales incident.

Espargaro, racing at Assen this week as a Honda wildcard, then made a pointed remark about Morbidelli avoiding further controversy in the Netherlands.

Last month at Silverstone, Morbidelli and Espargaro bickered in the gravel after they collided.

It was an incident which reignited the feud between them and shone a spotlight on Morbidelli's next incident with Vinales.