Superbike: Ducati has chosen Bulega’s replacement—Morbidelli’s signing for 2027 is official

The announcement of Morbidelli’s move to WorldSBK has finally arrived: he will inherit the legacy of the 2026 champion, set to replace him in the VR46 team in MotoGP.

Franco Morbidelli will race with the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team in the 2027 Superbike World Championship. After many years in MotoGP, the Roman rider will try to relaunch himself in the production-based series and will do so with the squad that dominated the 2026 season. There couldn’t be a better seat for him.

He will take the place of Nicolò Bulega, who sealed the SBK world title in the last round at the Cremona Circuit, and he will share the garage with the confirmed Iker Lecuona. As fate would have it, Bulega will replace the Roman rider in the Pertamina Enduro VR46 MotoGP team. There will be a swap of colors between two colleagues who know each other very well and have an excellent relationship.

Morbidelli already got to know the WorldSBK paddock before arriving in Grand Prix racing; in 2013 he won the European Superstock 600 title and can’t wait to test himself on the Panigale V4 R: "I’m very happy and excited for this new chapter in my career. I thank Ducati and Aruba for this opportunity. As always, I’ll give my best to be worthy of a team that has been fighting at the top for years and has just won the World Championship. I will do the best job possible to achieve great results together."

Stefano Cecconi, Aruba.it Racing Ducati team principal, highlighted some key aspects that led to the decision to sign the 2017 Moto2 champion: "Franco brings with him highly valuable experience, gained over many years in MotoGP with top teams: an important factor also in light of the arrival of the new tires, which he knows very well and on which he can provide us with valuable input. Moreover, even though he’s changing category, he’ll remain on a Ducati, and this will ensure continuity in his working methods and technical approach."

Morbidelli is having a very poor 2026 MotoGP season and he surely wants to bounce back, to prove he is still a rider of solid value. But some are also wondering whether the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team did the right thing by going for the almost 32-year-old (he turns 32 in December) rather than a younger profile.

In 2026 there are two Italians who have stood out in the Superbike World Championship: Yari Montella and Alberto Surra. The Campanian rider from the Barni team sits third in the overall standings, while the Piedmontese rookie from the Motocorsa team is ninth. Both ride the Panigale V4 R and have made strong progress.

Betting on either Montella or Surra could have been a good solution to partner Lecuona, who is ready to take over Bulega’s mantle as team leader and is a favorite for the 2027 SBK world title. But the decision was made to give the seat to the experienced Morbidelli; we’ll see if it proves to be the right call.

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