Morbidelli to remain with VR46 Ducati for MotoGP 2026

Franco Morbidelli will remain at VR46 Ducati for a second consecutive season in MotoGP after signing a contract extension for 2026.

Morbidelli’s journey with the squad owned by his mentor and seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi began at the start of this year after Pramac left Ducati’s camp to become a satellite squad.

While his previous form left much to be desired, the move to VR46 has revitalised his fortunes, resulting in Sunday podiums in both Argentina and Qatar.

With eight rounds to go, he sits a solid sixth in the riders’ standings, seven points clear of his team-mate Fabio di Giannantonio.

Morbidelli missed the German and the Czech Grands Prix after breaking his left collarbone in a crash in the sprint race at Sachsenring.

He returned to action at the Austrian Grand Prix last month, before finishing third in the half-distance race at the newly-built Balaton Park Circuit a fortnight ago.

Earlier this year, Pedro Acosta was linked with a surprise move to VR46 during a period of financial turmoil for KTM.

However, those rumours died down after KTM’s future was secured following a takeover by Bajaj Auto, and Morbidelli’s contract extension became a formality.

The news on Tuesday means VR46’s 2026 line-up is now complete, with di Giannantonio already under contract until the end of next season. The latter signed a two-year deal covering the 2025 and 2026 seasons in August last year.

VR46 currently sits third in the teams’ standings, behind just the factory Ducati squad and fellow Ducati customer Gresini.