news-engine

With Nicolò Bulega’s move to the MotoGP, Ducati and Aruba had to find a replacement for next season. The list of candidates was long, but, in the end, Franco Morbidelli came out on top. According to reports from the past few hours, the current Pertamina VR46 rider will take over for the rider from Emilia in Superbike on the team led by Stefano Cecconi. Only the final details of the agreement remain to be worked out. It appears the deal will be for one year plus an option for 2028, exactly like it was for Iker Lecuona. So, Morbidelli is one step away from returning to the paddock that launched his career, like his 2013 European Stock600 title victory on the San Carlo team’s Kawasaki. A new challenge awaits him in 2027: a move to the Superbike with the Ducati Aruba team, where he’ll join Iker Lecuona, who's currently at Silverstone this weekend replacing Fermin Aldeguer on the Gresini Desmosedici.