Today (Thursday), Franco Morbidelli should have been in Buriram, Thailand preparing for the second round of the 20🌳20 MotoGP World Championship.

Instead, like his fellow Italians 🍷and an increasing number of Europeans, the Petronas Yamaha star is confined at home to help avoid the spread of coronavirus, the fall💞out from which has already disrupted the opening four MotoGP events of the season.

“At the moment in Italy we have to stay at home, the restrictions are mainly that ꩲyou don’t lᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚeave your house unless it is to buy food or for some other important matter," Morbidelli said. "This has been since last Monday, so it is over a week now, but I hope that the situation is going to end soon.

“I am training in the only way possible at the moment, at home. I’m trying to sta🐻y 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 a♔nd staying sharp.”

Aside from keeping fit, Morbidelli is fending off the𓄧 boredom by learning to play some musical instruments: "It’s not easy!! I need to pra💯ctice a lot! Maybe by the end of this thing I will be able to play the harmonica and ‘cajon’.”

Otherwise, he can only advise his fellow countryman to try and be patient, listen to the experts and make the mౠost of a🍎 difficult situation.

“My message to all the Italiꦬan fans and people in the same situation around the world is to stay calm, take it easy, and respect what th﷽e World Health Organisation says.

"We should try t🦩o 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.”

Exactly how much longer the lockdown conditions conti🅰nue, and when Morbidelli will be back on his M1, remains unclear.

The MotoGP calendar currently lists Jereꦯz from May 1-3 as the new start date, but that looks increasingly unlikely.

“For all the MotoGP fans: we are having 🎉a little bit of a rest right now but hopefullꦍy we will be on track soon," Morbidelli said. "When we are, we’ll be able to go back to doing our thing with even more power and energy than before!”

Although MotoGP's Qatar opener was cancelled it still went ahead for the Moto2🍬 and Moto3 classes since they were a🍃lready present at Losail following their final pre-season test.

Morbidelli was watching on TV๊ as his Sepang team-m﷽ate John McPhee came a close second in the Moto3 race.

“I did watch the races in Qatar, John was awesome!" Morbidelli said. "He had a great race and was able to get the s✤econd spot, so 🌊that was good.

"It was nice to be able to follow Xavi and Jake in Moto2 and also John and KIP in Moto3 but I was also a bit sad, as I wasn’t 💫there.

"I could follow my friends and cheer for them without the pressure of a race [but] it was mixed 🍸feelings, as you have the feeling that you are supposed to be there.”

Morbidelli had taken his A-Spec🍌 Yamaha to second fastest at the𒐪 final MotoGP pre-season test, in Qatar.