Morbidelli lost his memory for two weeks after MotoGP crash before the season

Pramac rider Franco Morbidelli has revealed that he lost his memory for two weeks following his horrific training crash ahead of the start of the 2024 MotoGP season in January.

Morbidelli was preparing for the new season on a Ducati V4 Panigale racing bike at Portimao when he crashed at Turn 7 on an out lap and hit his head on the asphalt, after which he was reportedly left unconscious on the track.

The Italian had to be taken to hospital, where doctors discovered that a blood clot had formed in his head.

The 29-year-old had previously stated that he had no memory of the events before and after the accident, which seemed “unclear” but “strange” to him.

But in a recent interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, the three-time MotoGP race winner admitted that he did not even recognize his family members while he was recovering from his head injuries in hospital.

“The whole truth about this accident has never been told to you,” he said.

“I lost my memory. For two weeks. I didn't recognize people who were very close to me, important members of my family. It seemed impossible, and yet.

“I had all the fears in the world. All of them. Fortunately, we saw that my memories and my clarity were gradually returning. Every day a detail, a little more: my brain was starting to function like before.”

On the advice of his doctor, Morbidelli had to miss the two pre-season tests in Malaysia and Qatar.

After switching from Yamaha to Ducati in the winter, he arrived at the season opener in Losail without having completed a single lap with the GP24 prototype.

Morbidelli thanked those around him for their support ahead of the new season, as he made his Ducati debut in Qatar with almost no preparation.

“Two weeks before this meeting I was still a bit 'gaga'. But my whole team at Pramac and the sports family that surrounds me were great,” he assured.

“Getting back on the bike was a very tough challenge: in short, I hadn't done it for three months since the last race in 2023 in Valencia.

“I didn't train for a month. I had just recovered from a bad injury that I could only overcome by keeping still: you feel good, but the people around you know that's not true.”

Morbidelli has endured three difficult seasons with Yamaha since finishing second behind Suzuki's Joan Mir in the COVID-affected 2020 season.

For him, joining Pramac on a Ducati factory machine was a fresh start, but because he had no opportunity to test the bike, he was behind at the start of the year.

Franco Morbidelli, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

It wasn't until the fifth round of the season that Morbidelli broke into the top 10 at a Grand Prix and his recent progress earned him a front row qualification at the San Marino GP.

However, not everyone was impressed with his speed on the fastest bike on the grid, with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro questioning why he should stay on the grid with VR46 next year when his place could be given to an up-and-coming rider from Moto2.

The 29-year-old admitted he had to pull himself together after his training incident threatened to jeopardise his MotoGP career.

“After two difficult years with Yamaha, you take a blow like this and think to yourself that this is the last blow. But I gritted my teeth,” he said.

“Life can test us at any time. I can truly say that I have seen it all, but each time you learn that you have to be strong enough to face adversity.

“As a man, there is no doubt: I am lucky to have my mother, my fiancée and my family by my side. I have discovered that I am very loved and I hope I deserve that.”

Additional reporting by Lena Buffa