VR46 sends an SOS to Ducati: Morbidelli saves his career

VR46 Racing struggling during the British Grand Prix. Fabio Di Giannantonio finished sixth in the MotoGP race at Silverstone, the second-best Ducati rider after Alex Marquez (4th). Aprilia dominated the weekend, scaling back the world title dreams of the Roman rider. Franco Morbidelli finished 11th and is planning his future in Superbike.

The dominance of the RS-GP bikes on British soil is worrying, to say the least. It was certainly a friendly track for Aprilia, but perhaps no one expected them to lock out the podium both in the MotoGP Sprint and in Sunday’s race. "Since the beginning of the year we’ve never managed to create such a big gap like the one Aprilia did at Silverstone," commented Diggia.

The Roman rider believes he did his best, managing the rear tire throughout the race. But in the end it was the front tire that ruined his performance. He is now 41 points off the top of the standings, firmly in the hands of Jorge Martin. "It’s exactly what’s been happening since the start of the season. I’ve been saying it for a while—we need to improve our package."

According to Di Giannantonio, Ducati is the second force in the championship, behind the Veneto manufacturer. "Aprilia started doing an excellent job in the second half of last season, and now their four riders are always at the front. We’re simply in the mix with them, but at the moment we’re a step behind."

Things didn’t go any better for his teammate Franco Morbidelli, who is set to leave the VR46 team and MotoGP at the end of the season. The Italo-Brazilian rider overused his tires in an attempt to stay glued to the leading group. But in the second half of the race he had to ease off due to rear tire wear. "The second half of the race was practically a nightmare. I lost all momentum and all speed, I had to hang on as best I could."

During the MotoGP weekend at Silverstone, the Aprilia looked almost like an alien bike. "They brake later and accelerate much better. But I get the same feeling with Marc, with Di Giannantonio and sometimes with Alex Marquez. So maybe the problem is me, I don’t know."

For Franco Morbidelli this is his final season in MotoGP. Valentino Rossi’s protégé is very close to securing a future in the Superbike World Championship. According to various paddock rumors, he is the leading candidate to ride the factory Ducati for the Aruba.it Racing team from 2027. The deal now seems close to being finalized. At 30, Franky is part of that group of veteran riders who found themselves without a place on the MotoGP grid due to the arrival of new generations and the significant changes expected in the rider market.

The Borgo Panigale manufacturer is said to have chosen the 2017 Moto2 world champion to partner with Iker Lecuona in its factory WorldSBK team. Although some contractual details still need to be ironed out, the sporting decision is practically final. Ducati had evaluated several profiles in recent weeks, including young Moto2 talents. But in the end, the experience Morbidelli accumulated in MotoGP tipped the scales in his favor.

In addition, he has always been considered an easy rider to manage, with a very positive image for both sponsors and team managers. And for an Italian team like Aruba Ducati, having an Italian rider adds value from both a commercial and media standpoint.

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