FRANCO MORBIDELLI STAYS QUIET ON 2026-27 DUCATI WORLD SUPERBIKE RUMOURS

Franco Morbidelli has kept his cards close to his chest as speculation grows that he could be in line for a factory Ducati WorldSBK ride in 2026. The VR46 MotoGP rider’s current contract with the Italian team is set to end after the present campaign, with the squad expected to move on to Nicolò Bulega for 2027.

Speaking to Crash at the British Grand Prix, Morbidelli was pressed on the possibility of a WorldSBK switch and the reported interest from Ducati. His response was deliberately guarded: “I cannot talk about that right now, I’m sorry.” When the conversation turned to how his 2027 negotiations were progressing, he again avoided giving anything concrete, answering after a pause: “I’m living my dream life… I’m racing with motorcycles and I’m doing my dream job, my dream sport and my dream life.” He added, “I don’t see how I can’t be happy with the life I’m having.”

The wider context is that Morbidelli has struggled to return to the form that brought him his three MotoGP race wins and a second-place championship finish in 2020, after debuting in 2018 as the reigning Moto2 champion. With VR46 preparing for a change, attention has shifted to where Morbidelli might land next.

According to GPOne, Ducati’s WorldSBK factory seat currently linked to Bulega is expected to go to either Morbidelli or Moto2 championship leader Manu González. González’s path into MotoGP could be complicated by the reported Moto2 plans: his Moto2 team-mate Senna Agius is set to race with Tech3 in 2027 alongside Luca Marini.

Other reported seat movements include VR46 pairing Fermin Aldeguer with Bulega, while Trackhouse is expected to combine newly re-signed Raúl Fernández with Enea Bastianini. At Pramac, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu is set to be joined by Moto2 frontrunner Izan Guevara. González is described as open to a factory WorldSBK opportunity, but if that doesn’t materialise, he would remain in Moto2 with Intact GP.

Morbidelli’s position appears to be strengthened by the idea that Ducati’s team management is keen to maintain a strong Italian presence in the factory setup. Iker Lecuona has already re-signed with Ducati for 2027 in WorldSBK.