Franco Morbidelli secured his first top five finish of 2021 at the M𒀰otoGP Grand Prix of Portugal yes♉terday with a fourth place finish. 

The 2020 title runner-up closed in on the battling Francesco Bagnaia and Joan Mir with a couple of laps remaining, but was 𒁃unable to make an attack on the Suzuki ri💟der. 

It’s no surprise that Morbidelli has been less than 🍌impressed with Yamaha so far this year, as he is on a two year-old bike, when he was their top rider last year. 

And with improvements coming from every team this season, 💎and especially from the 2021 M1 package that all other Yamaha riders have except him, it’s ꧙led to a disappointing start to the season for the 2017 Moto2 world champion. 

However, yesterday was a much more positive ꧂outing for Morbidelli who improved one spot overall from his qualifying of fifth during the race. 

ꦑSpeaking after the race, Morbidelli added: "I’m happy about today's performance. It was a great race and I had fun fighting at the beginning in the pack and then trying to give everything to reachꦆ 2nd position. 

"Unfortunately 🌜we didn’t manage it because our potential was a bit less than Pecco [Bagnaia and Mir, but anyway I’m really pleased and 𒉰happy with the result."

The Italian r𝓡ider was also asked about whether the improvements from Qatar came down to him or the bike, to which Morbidelli said: "Erm. It was a combination between me and the team. 

"Clearly in Qatar we didn’t manage to find the right setting while here we managed to get that setting to allow me 🅠to ride. 

"It was a combination and difficult to sa🦩y which was more. It’s a success that belongs to me and the team. To us."