Franco Morbidelli will make the switch from MotoGP to WorldSBK in 2027, joining the factory Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team as the replacement for newly crowned WorldSBK Champion Nicolo Bulega.
The 31-year-old Italian will partner Iker Lecuona aboard Ducati’s Panigale V4 R, bringing nine seasons of MotoGP experience to a team that has just secured the Riders’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ WorldSBK titles.
Bulega, meanwhile, will move in the opposite direction, joining the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team in MotoGP alongside Fermin Aldeguer.
Morbidelli enters WorldSBK having won the 2017 Moto2 World Championship before moving to MotoGP in 2018. His strongest premier-class season came in 2020, when he scored three victories for Yamaha and finished runner-up to Joan Mir in the championship.
“I am very happy and excited about this new chapter in my career,” Morbidelli said. “I thank Ducati and Aruba for this opportunity. As always, I will give my best to live up to a team that has been fighting at the top for years.”CN
