Franco Morbidelli will not be able to ride his Prima Pramac Ducati until the start of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship in March, as doctors have advised him against participating in the two pre-season tests at Sepang and Qatar.
The Italian rider is currently recovering from injuries sustained in an accident at Portimao during a WorldSBK test. Morbidelli was on track with several other MotoGP riders, riding stock-spec sports bikes to improve his ‘match fitness’ before the first test in Malaysia, which began on February 6th.
Following the incident, during which he was knocked unconscious, doctors had initially delayed clearing him to test at Sepang. However, the latest announcement confirms that he will also miss the second test on February 19th and 20th in Qatar. According to an update from MotoGP.com, Morbidelli has been advised not to participate in any sporting activities for three weeks as a precautionary measure.
As a result, Morbidelli will enter the opening round at the Lusail International Circuit having completed only one day of track running aboard the Ducati GP24 he is set to ride in 2024, back in November at Valencia.
The three-time MotoGP race winner is making the move to Ducati after spending five years with Yamaha.