DUCATI SAYS VINALES TEST-RIDER REPORTS ARE UNFOUNDED

Ducati has rejected reports that Maverick Vinales is set to become one of its MotoGP test riders in 2027, while acknowledging that it will need to consider its test team’s future.

Team manager Davide Tardozzi said the speculation followed a chance paddock encounter at Motegi, rather than any discussions about a job. He told GPOne that he and Vinales have been friends for years, adding that the rider’s masseur is a childhood friend of his son. Seeing the pair walk together, Tardozzi said, prompted a journalist to create the story.

“I have had a close relationship with Vinales for a long time,” Tardozzi said. He stressed that their connection “goes beyond work” and insisted there was no agreement—or even a candidate under consideration. Ducati is looking ahead because current test rider Michele Pirro is getting older, he explained, but “who it will be is not yet defined: we have absolutely nothing done, written or even thought out yet.”

The rumours gained traction amid uncertainty over Vinales’ own plans. The 10-time MotoGP race winner is expected to be without a place on the 2027 grid after his relationship with Tech3 and KTM broke down over the summer. Vinales has said that KTM’s prolonged contract process left him unable to negotiate with other teams while the rider market was busy. With five rounds remaining in 2026, his next move is still unclear.

Speaking in Indonesia, Vinales said he wanted a future opportunity that would give him strong motivation, and was unsure whether a testing role would provide that. A Ducati position would nevertheless appear to fit the team’s potential needs: Nicolo Bulega, currently part of its test line-up alongside Pirro, is due to take a race seat with VR46 next year. Pirro, 40, has not competed full-time in MotoGP since 2012.

Other manufacturers, including Yamaha, Honda and KTM, have test riders with more recent MotoGP racing experience. Vinales, by contrast, has ridden for several manufacturers and could bring broad knowledge of different bikes. If he were to join Ducati as a test rider, however, he would not be eligible for wildcards in 2027, when wildcard entries are banned. He could still serve as a replacement if a Ducati rider were injured.

For now, Tardozzi’s message is that Ducati has made no decision and has not approached Vinales about the role. The team may need to refresh its test-rider options, but the Spaniard’s future—and Ducati’s eventual choice—remain open.