Valentino Rossi closes the market: Luca Marini is left out

Valentino Rossi has closed the loop on the rider line-up for the 2026 MotoGP season. With Fabio Di Giannantonio moving to KTM, one seat at the VR46 team had remained vacant and hotly contested for a long time. In the end, the Tavullia squad chose Nicolò Bulega, who will partner Fermin Aldeguer. At the moment, Franco Morbidelli is without a contract and is unlikely to find a free spot on the starting grid for the next World Championship.

While Ducati is racing against time to be ready for MotoGP’s regulatory changes, the Tavullia team has put an end to the market rumors. Even though there are still no official announcements, due to the lack of a new commercial agreement between Liberty and the MSMA. But behind the scenes, managers are in a frenzy to put the final signatures in place for the next two-year MotoGP cycle.

The Mugello weekend was the perfect opportunity to finalize the last details. Claudio Domenicali and Gigi Dall’Igna, the two top executives of the Borgo Panigale brand, met to define future plans with the VR46 leadership. The choice fell on Nicolò Bulega, the outright dominator of WorldSBK 2026. But his performances on production-derived bikes aren’t the only reason Ducati chose him. Already at the end of last season, when he replaced Marc Marquez due to a right shoulder injury, the Emilian rider impressed with his lap times on the Desmosedici.

At this point, the doors of the fluorescent yellow box will remain closed to Luca Marini, who will not join his brother’s team. His contract with Honda expires at the end of the year and will not be renewed. HRC has already set its official attacking pair, made up of Fabio Quartararo and David Alonso. Luca’s chances of staying in MotoGP are narrowing; there could be an opportunity for him to sign as a test rider.

According to some paddock rumors, he has already rejected this option, and the available spots on the grid now seem to be gone. “We are talking about it and evaluating different options, but it’s still early,” said the Italian Honda rider after the Mugello race. “There’s time to finalize the last available seats.”

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