Marco Bezzecchi
Media duties are a big part of any rider’s schedule; some love it, and some hate it, but they’re a mandatory part of the job description for those who plan on reaching the pinnacle of motorsports.
When working in the paddock, journalists will often have a select few riders whom they know will give them a good answer to any queries that they pose to them.
For example, Fabio Quartararo is TNT Sports’ favourite rider to interview, with one producer highlighting how ‘lovely’ he is in a sit-down setting.
On the other hand, certain riders make life a little bit more difficult for the on-site writers.
Former MotoGP rider-turned-pundit Neil Hodgson recalled how Andrea Ianonne was the ‘absolute’ worst person to ask a question, citing how rude he had been to him in the past.
Where should Valentino Rossi take his VR46 team in 2027?
Jack Appleyard names Franco Morbidelli as the most challenging MotoGP rider to interview
During an appearance on the Motorsport Republica podcast, motorcycle racing journalist Jack Appleyard was asked about the ins and outs of his role as MotoGP’s lead presenter on the world feed at race weekends.
After previously noting that Francesco Bagnaia was a ‘lovely’ rider to interview, Appleyard was then asked who the most challenging competitor was to get an answer out of.
He answered, “The one that I’ve had the most interesting back and forth with is probably Frankie Morbidelli. Me and Frankie have quite different personalities, and sometimes we clash.
“Frankie can be very short and sharp with his answers and he loves to catch you out. If you ask a closed question like, ‘Frankie, that was a good day, wasn’t it?’ He’ll just go, ‘Yes.’
“Sometimes you can work it to your benefit. I’ve had some good little interview snippets with him. There was one where he’d had a good result, and it was up in the air whether he was going to stay with Yamaha.
“So I asked him, ‘That’s got to be a great result for your future with Yamaha.’ He’s like, ‘Who says I want to stay with Yamaha?’ It was like, ‘Well, do you?’
“He just looked at the camera, and he just goes, ‘Ask Lin [Jarvis].’ It was a great back and forth. So yeah, sometimes Frankie can be good fun.”
- READ MORE: The five MotoGP riders most at risk of losing their seats in 2026 including Francesco Bagnaia
Once ‘protected’ at VR46, Franco Morbidelli’s future at the team is looking uncertain
As the very first member of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy, Morbidelli has enjoyed learning from the Italian MotoGP legend since he joined forces with him in Tavullia back in 2013.
Fittingly, Morbidelli served as The Doctor’s teammate during his final year in the sport before retirement, before being given the green light to replace Maverick Vinales at the factory Yamaha team in the following season.
The Italian rider was reunited with his mentor in 2025, where he claimed a seat at Rossi’s VR46 Racing MotoGP outfit.
While his results were fairly good, Morbidelli’s image suffered due to the part he played in a number of incidents that took place on track throughout the year.
A recent report has suggested that VR46 aren’t willing to continue protecting Franco Morbidelli from his bad-boy reputation if it continues on into the new season.
If that happens, then it remains to be seen what happens to the Italian’s career in the premier class afterwards.
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