Marco Bezzecchi
Another season of MotoGP brings another specification of Ducati prototypes, but Franco Morbidelli has decided to remain on his trusty GP24.
As one of the few riders within the Ducati stable who doesn’t have factory support for the upcoming MotoGP season, Franco Morbidelli’s choice of bike is between two candidates: the GP24 or the notorious GP25.
The 2025-spec Ducati prototype made a name for itself during last year’s campaign, for contrasting reasons.
On one hand, Marc Marquez absolutely dominated the grid on it, but on the other, Francesco Bagnaia languished as he struggled immensely to get to grips with it.
Fabio Di Giannantonio shared the same struggles as Bagnaia during his term on the factory-spec bike last year as well, which has led Morbidelli to make a last-minute call to change what prototype he will be racing on next year.
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Franco Morbidelli’s crew chief confirms that the VR46 rider will remain on the GP24 in 2026
During an interview with GPOne a few days following the launch of VR46 Racing’s 2026 MotoGP challenger, Morbidelli’s crew chief, Matteo Flamigni, revealed that the Italian rider would not be electing to use the updated GP25-spec Ducati bike this season.
After being asked whether Morbidelli’s move to the GP25 for 2026 worries him, Flamigni said, “Let me correct you because Franco will keep last year’s bike while Diggia will have the official bike.”
Asked to clarify that the 31-year-old would continue on the GP24, the mechanic added, “Franco will have last year’s bike, which is a bike he knows very well, which the team knows very well.
“It has proven to be very competitive, so much so that it won many races with Alex Marquez. So I expect him to do well.”
It was understood that Morbidelli would be changing to the GP25 as per the normalities with Ducati and their non-factory supported riders.
Morbidelli even fielded a question regarding the GP25 at VR46’s launch, meaning that a U-turn on a switch to the GP25 came during discussions following the event.
Another season atop the GP24 will mark Morbidelli’s third consecutive year on the 2024-spec bike, having previously raced on it during the year of its inception and in 2025.
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Ducati bosses may be annoyed at Franco Morbidelli’s decision to remain with the GP24
The decision to remain with two-year-old Ducati machinery may not sit well with the bosses back at Borgo Panigale, who are adamant that the GP25 is a step up from its predecessor.
Bagnaia ‘hurt’ Luigi Dall’Igna with his decision to revert back to certain GP24 elements amid his ongoing struggles during the 2025 term, so Morbidelli exercising his right to skip last year’s bike altogether certainly won’t sit well.
Rumours of an exit from VR46 for the Italian rider have been rampant in recent weeks, and this decision may harm Morbidelli’s chances of retaining his seat if Ducati offer any sort of input into who they want riding for their satellite teams.
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