​Big boots to fill, replacing Nicolo Bulega with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
Photos by VR46.
Franco Morbidelli is leaving the MotoGP paddock for the World Superbike grid, with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team confirming the 31-year-old Italian for 2027 alongside Iker Lecuona. The move puts Morbidelli on the factory Panigale V4 R that carried newly crowned champion Nicolo Bulega to the title this season.It amounts to a straight swap, with Bulega stepping up to MotoGP alongside Fermin Aldeguer in the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, the very outfit Morbidelli is vacating.Bulega has been dominant in WSBK this season, so taking his place is no easy task. That said, Morbidelli’s résumé has its share of highlights. A VR46 Riders Academy alum, Morbidelli won the 2013 European Superstock 600 title before taking the 2017 Moto2 crown as the first Italian to win the class. His MotoGP debut followed in 2018 with Honda, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors.Related VideoHe joined the Ducati fold in 2024 with Prima Pramac before moving to VR46 in 2025, taking two podiums and a Jerez Sprint podium this year. He’ll remain with the Italian brand next season, swapping out a Desmosedici for a Panigale V4 R.Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna pointed to continuity as a key factor. “After many years spent in MotoGP, he will bring to our WSBK project an extremely valuable wealth of experience,” Dall’Igna said. “We are convinced his move will also be supported by his deep knowledge of the Ducati environment and our working methods, an aspect we consider particularly important given the new technical challenges awaiting us in 2027.”Morbidelli, for his part, kept expectations plain: “As always, I will do my best to live up to a team that has fought at the top for years and has just won the Superbike World Championship. I will do the best job possible to achieve great results together.”Morbidelli also won’t be the only fresh MotoGP name on the 2027 WSBK grid – Jack Miller and Brad Binder are making the jump too. He’ll have plenty to measure himself against in Lecuona alone.Become a Motorcycle.com insider. Get the latest motorcycle news first by subscribing to our newsletter.