Uccio Salucci reveals when VR46 expect to announce a second MotoGP rider for 2026

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There are now just a handful of seats yet to be confirmed ahead of the 2026 MotoGP season and VR46 have one of them.

Fabio Di Giannantonio will continue to ride for them, but there is no guarantee of him having the latest Ducati machinery again.

He has struggled on the GP25 this year, where other riders may have been able to make better use of the tools at his disposal. He’s only fifth in the MotoGP standings.

But in VR46’s second seat, Franco Morbidelli hasn’t fared too much better on the GP24, which Alex Marquez has led to a victory and second in the standings, four places ahead of the Italian rider.

Morbidelli doesn’t have concerns about his VR46 future, but his current deal is set to expire at the end of the season.

Valentino Rossi would find one VR46 rider decision ‘too painful’, but we now know when a decision should arrive after a long summer break.

READ MORE: Valentino Rossi and VR46 have made clear that they don’t want one Ducati-backed rider for 2026

Uccio Salucci expects VR46 decision on second seat for 2026 within the next few weeks

Pedro Acosta is likely to reject a VR46 move for the future, as he waits for KTM to confirm their commitment to the sport ahead of the new regulations in 2027.

It means that 2026 is a bit of a stop-gap year. There shouldn’t be too much development, but there are still victories and titles to fight for.

VR46 boss Uccio Salucci is aware that a decision on his team’s second seat is expected soon by fans, and he has now told SPEEDWEEK when a deal will be signed.

“Me, the team and also Franky were on vacation, so we already talked, but not too much yet,” he said.

“It wasn’t a real vacation, but I stayed away from the office and also the racetrack. Okay, not quite: I was together with Andrea Migno in Spa at Formula 1, that was a very good experience.

“We still have to discuss something with Franky’s management, but I assume that we will tie the contract in Hungary or Barcelona. We are not yet at 100 percent – but at 99 that we sign together.”

READ MORE: What Valentino Rossi advised Fabio Di Giannantonio to do behind the scenes before scoring his best result of 2025

Why re-signing Franco Morbidelli is a good idea for VR46 in 2026

At the age of 30, Morbidelli brings plenty of experience with him to the track, and has spent time with two other MotoGP manufacturers.

He would’ve hoped to have the opportunity to win somewhere at least once this season, but there are still 10 races for him to do that.

Stability within VR46 would be appreciated for 2026, and the Italian rider should be able to build on his consistent campaign next year.

With most contracts expiring ahead of the new regulations, it’s likely that there will be an opportunity for him to remain on the grid somewhere in the future, particularly if he impresses again.