Farewell to MotoGP, a Superbike rebirth: Morbidelli wants to be the rider he was in 2020

The MotoGP door will close at the end of the 2026 season, but SBK’s should open for him and could let him start having fun again.

It’s been known for some time that some riders who have won races and stood on the podium in MotoGP will no longer be part of the 2027 grid. Honestly, looking at each case, there’s no cause for outrage. On the list of those exiting the premier class of motorcycle racing is Franco Morbidelli, who this season has been struggling quite a bit on the Ducati Desmosedici GP25. He felt decidedly better on the GP24, having had the chance to ride it for two consecutive years, whereas with the “new” bike he’s only managed to be competitive on a few occasions.

His best result of the 2026 championship is the third place achieved in the sprint race at Jerez, where he started from 18th on the grid and pulled off a record comeback. After that fantastic result he offered a beautiful dedication to people who suffer and feel inadequate. He, too, has faced many difficulties; it hasn’t always been easy to keep morale high and continue to believe. This year’s results are disappointing and, despite the exceptional relationship with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team, he will have to move elsewhere.

Very likely, in 2027 we’ll see the Roman rider in action in the Superbike World Championship. The Aruba.it Ducati team has extended Iker Lecuona’s contract through 2028, but has found itself having to evaluate several names to replace Nicolò Bulega, who is set to join the Pertamina Enduro VR46 MotoGP team. It seems the final choice has fallen on Morbidelli. Continuing to have an Italian rider in the garage is certainly positive for Aruba and Ducati, but it’s even more important to have someone hungry, motivated and, of course, competitive.

Even though quite a few have their doubts about Morbidelli, a paddock change could do him a world of good. Landing in a more relaxed WorldSBK environment and getting the chance to ride for what is currently the best team on the grid could help him express his full potential, proving he still has something to say in the racing world.

It’s not that he hasn’t had competitive machinery in recent years, but especially in 2026 the results have been disappointing. Having a winning package in WorldSBK and knowing he can fight for the title is certainly motivating. In the production-derived championship he can rediscover the joy of riding and being fast, and begin a new professional chapter with some great satisfaction.

MotoGP fans will remember the 2020 Morbidelli, the one who finished runner-up in the world championship with three wins on the Petronas SRT Yamaha M1. That was a rider who was having fun and delivering results. The following years at Yamaha were negative and perhaps “burned” him a bit, before the big chance to switch to Ducati with the Pramac team (2024) and subsequently with the VR46 team (2025–2026).

The Roman wants to start having fun again and be a protagonist, as he was in 2020 and even earlier in Moto2: in 2017 he was world champion, the first Italian to win the title in the category that replaced the 250 in 2010. The Superbike World Championship could be the right place for a rebirth; we’ll see whether his move to the Aruba.it Ducati team is formalized soon or if there will be any twists.

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