That said, Franco Morbidelli is stepping out of the premier class and into the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for 2027. The three-time MotoGP race winner has inked a deal with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad, taking over the most coveted and high-pressure seat on the grid. He will replace Nicolo Bulega, who is heading to the VR46 Racing Team in MotoGP.
Morbidelli’s arrival was unveiled at Cremona as Bulega was crowned the 2026 World Superbike Champion. For the Italian, this move marks a fresh chapter after eight seasons in MotoGP split between Yamaha and Ducati. Reflecting on the switch, Morbidelli made his ambitions clear: “It’s a great opportunity for me after a difficult year in MotoGP, where I’ve struggled on some occasions. I hope to be able to use my chance that Ducati are giving me well. It would be nice to get back to winning ways. It’s a thing that I love to do, I really like to win. We all know a package like Aruba Ducati is a package very much capable of winning, so I’m aiming to do that.”
It is special, it’s like getting back to my roots of motorcycle racing,
The grid will hold plenty of familiar faces when he arrives. Morbidelli will race alongside Iker Lecuona following the Spaniard’s breakout year. The pair already crossed paths this season when Lecuona stood in at Gresini Ducati at Balaton Park and Silverstone. Alongside facing the #7 machine again, he will reunite with former MotoGP rider Miguel Oliveira of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, alongside 2027 newcomers Jack Miller and Brad Binder.
Speaking about his new teammate and rivals, Morbidelli noted: “I know many riders who race here in WorldSBK very well. I’ve raced against them for many years, on many occasions, so I know them very well. I know my teammate for next year, Iker Lecuona, and he’s a very strong rider. I know him from this year as well because he came to MotoGP to do some races. I know that the field is really tough so let’s see what I’m going to be capable of doing. I just know that the team I’m joining are very much capable of winning, so I hope to stay at that level.”
A brand-new machine, an unfamiliar tyre feeling, and a completely different weekend format await him. Unlike MotoGP, WorldSBK skips the Q1/Q2 qualifying system and features three races per weekend instead of two. Tackling these hurdles will require a rapid learning curve. Discussing what lies ahead, the Italian explained: “There are new things to learn, and I hope that I’ll be able to learn them as quickly as possible. I’m sure the team is going to make a big effort from that point of view, to help me to learn as quick as possible about the things I don’t know about the bike and also the Championship in general. I don’t know what my biggest challenge will be, but there will be a few.”
Yet, this transition also represents a homecoming of sorts. Morbidelli’s early career was forged in this very paddock, starting with his STK600 debut in 2011. He secured his first pole and podium in the class in 2012 before capturing the title in 2013 with five podiums and two wins, beating Alessandro Nocco to the crown and launching his path into Moto2 and MotoGP. Returning to these roots brings a wave of nostalgia. “It is special, it’s like getting back to my roots of motorcycle racing,” Morbidelli said. “I began my career with big bikes in this paddock, so I remember how it felt. After 13, 14 years, it’s going to be a very strong feeling to get back. Many things have changed but I’m sure that many things have stayed the same. It’s going to be nice to feel this emotion.”
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