Morbidelli to join Aruba.it Racing – Ducati for the 2027 Superbike World Championship
Franco Morbidelli will move from MotoGP to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team in 2027, taking over the factory Ducati Panigale V4 R ridden this season by newly crowned Superbike World Champion Nicolò Bulega.
- 228
- 11
- 29
- 8
What Happened
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team has announced the signing of Franco Morbidelli, who will race alongside Iker Lecuona in 2027. He takes over the factory Ducati Panigale V4 R ridden this season by Nicolò Bulega, who has just been crowned Superbike World Champion. Morbidelli arrives from the MotoGP paddock, where he has competed for 14 seasons.
Morbidelli developed as a rider within the VR46 Riders Academy and made his MotoGP debut on a Honda in 2018, earning the Rookie of the Year title. From 2019 he moved to Yamaha, with whom he claimed three wins and finished runner-up in the 2020 World Championship. In 2024 he joined Ducati with the Prima Pramac Racing team, and since 2025 he has raced with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, still on the Desmosedici GP machine.
Born in Rome.
Won the European Superstock 600 title in the Superbike paddock itself.
Became Moto2 World Champion, the first Italian rider to win the title in the category.
Made his MotoGP debut on a Honda, earning the Rookie of the Year title.
Will race for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team alongside Iker Lecuona in the FIM Superbike World Championship.
- 14 seasons, first in Moto2 and then in the premier class
- 228 races contested
- 11 wins
- 29 podiums
- 8 pole positions
“We welcome Franco with great enthusiasm, certain that he will be able to give us many satisfaction. The 2027 season will bring several new developments and will be an important challenge for both the rider and the team, but setting ambitious goals is part of our DNA. Franco brings with him highly valuable experience, gained over many years in MotoGP with top teams: an important factor also in view of the arrival of the new tyres, which he knows very well and on which he will be able to provide us with precious feedback. Furthermore, although he is changing category, he will remain on a Ducati, which will guarantee continuity in his working method and technical approach. We can't wait to begin this new adventure and to share work and ambitions with Franco.”
“We are very happy to welcome Franco to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati family. Franco is a very talented rider who, throughout his career, has shown speed, technical sensitivity and the ability to adapt at the highest levels of world motorcycle racing. After many years spent in MotoGP, he will bring to our Superbike project an extremely valuable wealth of experience. 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. Together with Aruba.it Racing, we have built a winning project over the years, and we believe Franco has all the qualities to help keep it at the top. We can't wait to start this new journey together.”
“I am very happy and excited about this new chapter in my career. I thank Ducati and Aruba for this opportunity. 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.”
Why this matters
Morbidelli is swapping MotoGP for the production-based Superbike World Championship and stepping onto the bike of the rider who just won the title. For Ducati and its Aruba.it Racing partner, the signing adds years of top-class MotoGP experience to a project they say they want to keep at the top. The team also expects his knowledge of the new 2027 tyres to pay off.
Terms in This Story
- MotoGP
- The premier class of world championship motorcycle road racing, the top tier of the sport.
- Moto2
- The intermediate class of the world motorcycle racing championship, sitting below MotoGP.
- Superbike World Championship
- A world championship series for production-based motorcycles modified for racing.
- European Superstock 600
- A European racing category for 600cc production-based motorcycles.
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