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With Nicolò Bulega’s move to MotoGP, Ducati and Aruba had to find a replacement for next season. The list of candidates was long, and 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 from the Emilian in Superbike in the team run 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 the same as was done for Iker Lecuona. Morbidelli is thus one step away from returning to the paddock that launched his career, recalling his 2013 European Stock600 title victory on the San Carlo team’s Kawasaki. A new challenge awaits him in 2027: a move to Superbike with the Ducati Aruba team, where he’ll join Iker Lecuona, who is currently at Silverstone this weekend replacing Fermin Aldeguer on the Gresini Desmosedici.