Chris Vermeulen: 'Morbidelli is 2020's top rider'

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation podcast In the Fast Lane has released this week’s episode presented by spokes.com.au with MotoGP™ race-winner and Fox Sports TV analyst, Chris Vermeulen.

Vermeulen joined In the Fast Lane co-hosts Matt Clayton and Michael Lamonato to wrap up the 2020 season, debate who should make and miss out on the top 10 riders of the year list and look ahead to 2021.

When asked who he would rank as the top rider of 2020, Vermeulen controversially did not pick the championship winner, Joan Mir, instead he explained why Franco Morbidelli impressed him most.

“I didn’t pick the world champion as number one. Franco Morbidelli, he was the guy at the end of the year that was the fastest rider in MotoGP™,” Vermeulen said.

“The other guys were saying that he was on the ‘19 Yamaha and it’s better than the ‘20 Yamaha but Valentino Rossi made some interesting points and said ‘yeah the bike is different’ and there is more data about it…but the biggest difference is Franco Morbidelli and you’ve got to listen to Rossi, he’s one of the guys riding it,” he continued.

Whilst Mir wasn’t his top pick of 2020’s riders, Vermeulen was still full of praise for the world champion, revealing early in the season that team members already knew he was going to be quick.

“I know his crew chief Frankie Carchedi quite well and he said Alex Rins needs to watch out, Joan is going to be quick... his maturity, his speed and his adaptability to MotoGP™ bikes was quite impressive,” said Vermeulen.

The podcast is available on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts platforms.

In the Fast Lane
Episode 21 presented by