Marco Bezzecchi
Four MotoGP teams will run a product from Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy in 2026 with Marco Bezzecchi, Francesco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli and Luca Marini.
Bezzecchi was the highest-placed VR46 Academy product in the MotoGP riders’ standings in 2025, after securing third place in his first season in the factory Aprilia team. The 27-year-old quit VR46 to join Aprilia, with whom he registered three Grand Prix wins and 353 points.
Bagnaia had been the top VR46 Academy product from 2021 to 2024, yet the factory Ducati rider fell to fifth in the 2025 standings with two wins and 288 points. Morbidelli finished the year in seventh on 231 points for VR46, while Marini sealed 13th with 142 points for Honda.
All four of the VR46 Academy products face varying degrees of uncertainty concerning their respective futures in MotoGP, as all four are set to be out of contract at the end of the 2026 season. VR46 gave Morbidelli a new one-year contract for 2026, as did Honda with Marini.
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VR46 may not protect Franco Morbidelli from his bad-boy reputation as much in 2026
Morbidelli especially faces a ‘difficult’ task to earn a new contract beyond the 2026 season if he cannot improve his image. That is according to Simon Patterson of The Race, who notes that Morbidelli may not be ‘protected’ as much by VR46 in 2026 as he has in previous terms.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Franco Morbidelli from net worth to career stats
Rossi and the VR46 operation have a ‘soft spot’ for Morbidelli, as the 31-year-old was where the Academy started in 2013. The native of Rome had already been training with Rossi, who then created the Academy to formally support his fellow Italian when he debuted in Moto2.
Morbidelli is also a close personal friend of Rossi, so VR46 are more forgiving about his less-than-perfect reputation. But while VR46 excuse Morbidelli’s shortcomings more than other MotoGP teams might, it is only certain to buy him the 2026 season unless they see changes.
Franco Morbidelli drew Simon Crafar’s wrath due to his crashes in 2025
Morbidelli is on thin ice with Simon Crafar, the chairman of the FIM MotoGP Steward Panel, due to the 2020 MotoGP championship runner-up’s very aggressive approach that has even annoyed various rival riders. His approach especially drew criticism during the 2025 season.
VR46 decided to retain Franco Morbidelli for 2026. Does he deserve a ride?
Crafar, who took up his position on the FIM MotoGP Steward Panel in 2025, gave Morbidelli a “special warning” in September. He told Morbidelli that he faced a ride-through penalty if he committed another offence after causing collisions in the Catalan Sprint and Grand Prix.
Morbidelli regularly drew criticism for his on-track incidents during 2025, which marked the Italian’s first season with the VR46 MotoGP team. His 2025 season also started with a lot of promise after finishing P3 in Argentina and Qatar, but he then faded as the year progressed.
Additionally, Rossi decided against giving Morbidelli a factory-spec Ducati in 2026 due to his inconsistent form during the 2025 season. VR46 had the option to get a second factory bike alongside Fabio Di Giannantonio’s, but Ducati will instead give it to Alex Marquez of Gresini.
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