Franco Morbidelli’s 2026 season hasn’t gotten off to the best start. A year ago, after three Grand Prix races, he was in 4th place in the championship with one podium finish already under his belt (in Argentina); now he is 13th with just 14 points. Austin was a clear reflection of his struggles, which he himself did not hide:“A year ago I was 4th, this year 14th”—there is little else to add.
Morbidelli started this year with a “hybrid” Desmosedici. After the GP25 had caused Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio to struggle last year, he and his team decided to start with the 2024 chassis and add all the parts that the factory riders had approved for 2025. The experiment, however, doesn’t seem to have worked.
On Sunday evening, at the end of the U.S. Grand Prix, he was understandably disheartened: “It was a tough weekend. We started from the back, but we showed an upward trend—that’s a positive sign. It’s the only thing to take away,” he said.
He didn’t have much else to add, except that “the bike feels worse than last year.” It’s not hard to believe him; the results speak for themselves.
The problem is that these difficulties have come at a crucial moment for his future. The rider market has moved quickly, even though official announcements are still pending (the manufacturers are waiting for the renewal of the MotoGP contract for the next five years to make them); the top riders have all secured their spots, and now it’s up to the independent teams to make their moves. Morbidelli’s stock, at this moment, is low.
Basically, there will be no place left for him on the VR46 team, which will remain with Ducati and is planning a future with Aldeguer and Di Giannantonio. These aren’t speculations, but what team principal Alessio ‘Uccio’ Salucci declared on Sunday to Sky TV.
“We’re interested in Fermin; we’ve never hidden that. He’s a fantastic rider and he’s only 21. We like him. Diggia has never been in doubt; we’ve always planned to move forward with him, and we’ll soon make him an offer,” he said.
This means Franco will be forced to look elsewhere, hoping to find another seat in MotoGP. To do so, however, he’ll need to improve his results. In his third year on the Ducati, he hasn’t yet managed to return to the level he showed he could reach in 2020 with Yamaha, a season in which he finished 2nd in the championship. 2025 was a year with some highlights, but one where his inconsistency also took its toll.
At the start of 2026, a turnaround is needed—and soon. Uccio has assured him of the team’s full support:“We’re trying everything with Franco; we’ll get through this. We need to stick by him; the team has also made some mistakes. We won’t give up, and the key is closer than it seems—the trust is mutual.”
As always, the problem is time. There are three weeks left before the Jerez GP to make the turnaround that Morbidelli desperately needs.