Marco Bezzecchi
VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli drew the ire of many across the 2025 MotoGP season for his aggressive habits on a track, including FIM stewards panel chairman Simon Crafar.
On paper, last year was the best season that Morbidelli has enjoyed in recent terms. The 31-year-old achieved seventh place in the 2025 riders’ standings with 231 points for his highest finish since ranking second in 2020, as well as marking his best points haul in MotoGP so far.
Morbidelli had never previously broken the 200-point barrier before he joined VR46 in 2025 and straddled the Ducati Desmosedici GP24. But the Italian’s early highs of finishing third in the 2025 Argentina Grand Prix and Qatar GP were overshadowed by his frequent incidents.
Some fans even called for MotoGP to ban Morbidelli after he collided with Maverick Vinales and took the KTM Tech3 rider out during the Italian GP. MotoGP fans lamented Morbidelli’s aggressive riding style after he collided with Aprilia’s Jorge Martin in the Catalan Sprint, too.
Prove me wrong: Franco Morbidelli’s reputation regarding crashes is worse than the reality
VR46 have told Simon Crafar ‘not to worry’ about Franco Morbidelli in 2026
FIM MotoGP stewards panel chairman Crafar took issue with Morbidelli’s various incidents in 2025, as well, to the point that he placed the Italian under a “special warning” after the Catalan GP round. Morbidelli risked receiving a ride-through penalty with another offence.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Franco Morbidelli from net worth to career stats
VR46 team manager Pablo Nieto now says he has spoken with Crafar and told him “not to worry” about Morbidelli, as his outfit will have “normal riders” in 2026. Nieto is also eager to see the Roman capitalise on the Ducati GP25 that he will ride during the new campaign.
Nieto said, via quotes by Motorsport.com: “I told Simon Crafar not to worry, that we’ll be a normal team with normal riders. But it’s true that the bikes are a bit more aggressive, so we have to really enjoy this season.
“It’s going to be very, very difficult. The riders are very confident [and] the bikes are fantastic. [The] Ducati is currently the best bike in MotoGP, so we have everything we need to try and achieve something important.”
Franco Morbidelli cleaning up his act could be vital to furthering his MotoGP career
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Morbidelli rubbed many in the MotoGP paddock the wrong way with his antics throughout the 2025 season. VR46 will now hope the Italian can learn from the errors that blighted his campaign right until the end, having even clipped Aleix Espargaro on the grid in Valencia.
The 31-year-old will contest his ninth season in MotoGP in 2026, and he will go into the new campaign with 142 Grand Prix entries under his belt to date. But his reputation became one of being reckless last season, with Sylvain Guintoli calling out Morbidelli’s “dangerous” ways.
If Morbidelli is to further his future in MotoGP, cleaning up his act might be the best place to start. Nieto has confirmed that VR46 are open to re-signing Morbidelli for 2027, having only given him a new contract for 2026 in September, but most riders are also hitting the market.
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