After five years at Yamaha, the last two and a half at the factory Monster team, Morbidelli will switch to Pramac Ducati after ♛losing his M1 ride to Alex Rins.

But while Yamaha is without a victory this year, leavℱing lead rider Fabio Quartararo just tenth in the standings, Pramac is en🍎joying its best-ever MotoGP season.

Jorge Martin is fighting factory Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia for the riders' world championship, with team-mate Johann Zarco then taking his first premier-class victory at Phillip Island last we♎ekend.

Their combined efforts also mean Pr🅷amac leads the teams’ title by a healthy 85 points over VR46, with Duca☂ti Lenovo 108 points adrift in third.

“I was already excited enough when I understood that I was🍌 going to ride a Ducati. And then to see Pramac, my future team, winning and being the top team in the standings for sure fills me with a lot of excitement,” said Morbidelli, currently 13th in t💙he world championship, at Buriram on Thursday.

“I have to keep it quiet and kee♋p focused on this current situation because we still want to get good results [at Yamaha]. It'll be beautiful to get a podium with this team and on this bike.

“I know it's possible when you use the chances you can. We've seen Fabio was very good at taking the chance he got in India and Mandalika. And it will be important 𓄧to take the chance that presents itself to us. We are not that far.”

With Buriram offering simil🍸ar track conditions, and tyre s♊election, to India, the Italian views the Thai weekend as a ‘good chance’.

“It's a hot race and we have the different tyre casing. It seems that combination - different casing, hot race and not so grippy conditions - has been the key to [Yamaha] performing well in the second part of 🌌the season.

“We've seen Fabio making two podiums, in India and Mandalika. So it will be a chance and sincerely we were not that far from Fabio's perꦐformances in India and Mandalika.

“But we didn't get into Q2 directly and instead of starting 4th, we were 15th. So we will try to put everything together, makeౠ a good job. And get directly to Q2.꧋ And make a nice weekend. It will be a very, very important Friday.”

Morbidelli joke♛d that he already has oꦅne win under his belt.

“We dꦜid the cooking contest and I won!” he said. “A great way to start the weekend, on the top step of the podium!"

The weather forecasts predict rain at someﷺ stage during Friday's pair of practice sessions, the second of which will determine direct entry to Qualifying 2.