VR46 changes everything: Valentino Rossi 'fires' Morbidelli

In this unusual rider market session, where there are no official announcements but negotiations are still ongoing, there are also those who will have to stay off the starting grid. Among them is Franco Morbidelli, a long-time pupil of the VR46 Academy, who is being left out of Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP project.

Franco Morbidelli is among the many premier-class riders facing an uncertain future. After winning the Moto2 world title in 2017, he spent nine seasons in MotoGP, alternating between Honda, Yamaha, and Ducati. The peak of his career came in the 2020 season, when he finished second behind Joan Mir. Then the Italian-Brazilian experienced tough times, with lackluster results and several injuries that hampered his talent.

This season his best result is third place in the Sprint at Jerez, a race stopped due to rain. "I want to dedicate this result to the people who are suffering, who think they don’t have any chance, who think they’re worse than everyone else," Morbidelli said after the unexpected podium. "[People were saying] 'he has no chance, he can’t get the result, he has no speed, he has nothing.' And here we are."

But in today’s MotoGP a podium isn’t enough; you need much more to secure a place on the 2027 grid. He is currently 14th in the overall standings, last among the Ducati riders, while his teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio is delivering a thrilling championship. Despite everything, ‘Diggia’ will leave Valentino Rossi’s team at the end of the year to join the KTM factory squad, where he will find Alex Marquez as his garage mate. Replacing Morbidelli is Nicolò Bulega, an absolute dominator in WorldSBK, strongly wanted by Ducati in MotoGP for the next World Championship. VR46 will also welcome the young and talented Fermin Aldeguer, for an entirely new rider line-up.

What fate awaits Franco Morbidelli? There has long been talk of a possible move to Superbike, especially with the switch to Michelin tires. "I’m a rider. I love racing. I haven’t finished my job here yet," Franky said about his future. "I think my goal changed a bit after the first three years in MotoGP. I was aiming to win the championship and I came very close after two years, in 2020."

Since then, fate has been against him. "Then I had some problems and I wasn’t able to get closer to my goal. So my goal changed a bit." With so many young riders storming up from Moto2, the available seats in the Top Class are very limited. "Now the priority is to get back to winning races. It will be crucial to start winning races again before thinking about winning a championship. At the moment I’m still far from that goal."

The dream of the MotoGP title is now shattered, but Morbidelli could find a place in WorldSBK, still within Ducati’s orbit. A garage swap with Nicolò Bulega at Aruba.it cannot be ruled out. In the meantime, the VR46 rider is not the only one left out: even riders of the caliber of Alex Rins, Brad Binder, and Jack Miller currently seem to be without a seat for the new 850cc era. And the market moves appear to be all but settled...

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