Franco Morbidelli Nearly Takes Podium in 200th MotoGP Start

Franco Morbidelli delivered a heroic comeback at the 2025 British GP at Silverstone, finishing fourth in his 200th MotoGP start — just 0.017 seconds shy of a podium finish.

The VR46 Racing Team rider was involved in an early crash with Aleix Espargaro, but thanks to a red flag, he was able to rejoin the race. In the final laps, Morbidelli engaged in a fierce battle with Marc Marquez for third place.

“It was an incredible race. From P13, crashing, and still fighting for the podium — it’s insane,” Morbidelli said post-race.

Espargaro took responsibility for the incident:

“I braked too hard because Franco was on the outside. I tried to leave space but ended up crashing. My bike hit him, and I’m really sorry.”

Morbidelli’s teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio finished ninth after struggling with brake system issues.

Meanwhile, Luca Marini, Enea Bastianini, Lorenzo Savadori, and Somkiat Chantra were handed 16-second penalties for tire pressure violations.