Franco Morbidelli Extends VR46 Contract Until 2026

Franco Morbidelli is one of the MotoGP riders with a long career journey across various teams before finally joining Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. He first appeared in the premier class MotoGP in 2018 with Marc VDS Honda. Over time, Morbidelli proved himself as one of the most talented riders with major achievements, including finishing runner-up in the 2020 season with Petronas Yamaha SRT.

However, his career experienced ups and downs after the 2021 season. Inconsistent performance often made Morbidelli struggle to compete at the top level. Nevertheless, his potential continued to attract the attention of major teams. Eventually, he found a new home with VR46 Racing Team, Ducati’s satellite team founded by MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.

Joining at the start of the 2025 season, Morbidelli immediately had the chance to ride the Ducati Desmosedici GP24, known as one of the most competitive bikes on the grid. VR46’s decision to sign him proved right, as Morbidelli showed promising results since the first half of the season (motorsport.com, September 2, 2025).

Contract Extension Confirmation

In early September 2025, it was officially announced that Franco Morbidelli extended his contract with Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team until the 2026 season. The announcement was delivered through MotoGP’s official website and confirmed by several international media (motogp.com, September 2, 2025).

Morbidelli himself expressed his happiness about the decision. He described VR46 as a second family, given his closeness with Valentino Rossi since becoming part of the VR46 Riders Academy. According to him, the solid team atmosphere, strong technical support, and the trust of the crew were the main reasons why he wanted to continue his career with the team.

In his official statement, Morbidelli said he felt very comfortable in the team and that the Ducati bike gave him a huge opportunity to compete at the top.

“I feel the relationship with this team is amazing, and we have high targets for next season,” he said (oto.detik.com, September 2, 2025).

VR46 Line-Up Stability

With this contract extension, VR46 Racing Team has secured their rider line-up for MotoGP 2026. Besides Morbidelli, the team will continue to be strengthened by Fabio Di Giannantonio, who has shown impressive performances since the 2024 season. The presence of these two Italian riders is expected to maintain the team’s stability and enhance VR46’s competitiveness as one of Ducati’s strongest satellite teams (voi.id, September 2, 2025).

Team Manager Alessio “Uccio” Salucci emphasized that Morbidelli is an important part of VR46’s long-term project. According to him, Morbidelli brings valuable experience and a major contribution to bike development. “Franco has shown positive results since the beginning with us, and we believe he can go even further,” he stated (jatim.antaranews.com, September 2, 2025).

Impact of the Contract Extension

The extension of Morbidelli’s contract brings positive impacts for VR46 Racing Team in various aspects.

1. Performance Consistency: Morbidelli has proven capable of competing in the mid-to-top positions during the 2025 season. With a new contract, he can focus on improving performance without being burdened by future speculations (motorsport.com, September 2, 2025).
2. Emotional Bond with the Team: As part of the VR46 Riders Academy, Morbidelli has a strong emotional connection with the team. This strengthens internal synergy and creates a harmonious working environment (voi.id, September 2, 2025).
3. Commercial Attraction: Pertamina Enduro as the main sponsor certainly benefits from Morbidelli’s popularity among MotoGP fans, especially in Italy and Southeast Asia. The global branding combination of Ducati, VR46, and Pertamina is an attractive package in the world of motorcycle racing (oto.detik.com, September 2, 2025).
4. Long-Term Stability: With the rider line-up secured until 2026, VR46 can focus more on bike development and race strategy without worrying about major structural changes (motogp.com, September 2, 2025).

Challenges for the 2026 Season

Although this contract extension was welcomed positively, major challenges still await Morbidelli and VR46 Racing Team in the 2026 season. Ducati is predicted to continue dominating the grid, but internal competition among satellite and factory teams will become tighter.

Morbidelli is expected to be more consistent in finishing within the top five and even regularly reaching the podium. The 2026 season will also be a test to see if he can still be one of the top riders after going through highs and lows in his career.

In addition, the presence of young talents like Pedro Acosta and Marco Bezzecchi, along with new riders entering the premier class, will increase the competition level. To compete, Morbidelli must keep improving his adaptation to the Ducati bike and maintain his physical condition (jatim.antaranews.com, September 2, 2025).

MotoGP World’s Reaction

Morbidelli’s contract extension with VR46 Racing Team has received various positive reactions from the MotoGP community. Many fans considered the decision appropriate, given Morbidelli’s stable performances throughout the 2025 season.

MotoGP journalists from several media stated that Morbidelli’s presence in VR46 strengthens the team’s identity as a platform for Valentino Rossi’s academy riders. Meanwhile, racing analysts saw this move as a smart strategy, as VR46 can retain a solid rider combination without gambling on new names (voi.id, September 2, 2025).

The extension of Franco Morbidelli’s contract with Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team until MotoGP 2026 is great news for MotoGP fans. For Morbidelli, this is an opportunity to continue his career in a team he already considers his second home. For VR46, this ongoing collaboration provides stability, competitiveness, and significant commercial appeal.

With a proven Ducati machine and a solid rider line-up, VR46 Racing Team is expected to become one of the most dangerous satellite teams on the grid. Now, all eyes will be on how Morbidelli can seize this golden opportunity to return to the MotoGP top tier (motogp.com, September 2, 2025).