Marco Bezzecchi
VR46 team boss Pablo Nieto has revealed what Valentino Rossi is ‘constantly’ asking amid Franco Morbidelli’s ‘suffering’.
So far in the 2026 MotoGP season, Morbidelli has struggled to stay close with his rivals, having only scored 43 points from the opening 10 rounds.
As a result, the Italian currently sits 16th in the MotoGP world championship standings, making him the lower-ranked Ducati rider.
In comparison, Morbidelli’s teammate, Fabio Di Giannantonio, is in the title fight as he sits third with 177 points.
Looking ahead, the 31-year-old is likely to be left without a MotoGP seat; instead, Morbidelli has been linked with the World Superbike Championship.
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Amid the Italian’s poor form, VR46 team boss Nieto has spoken about his rider’s ‘very difficult’ situation.
The Spaniard stated that VR46 are doing everything they can in order to help Morbidelli out of his current form.
He pointed out the fact that Morbidelli has been ‘suffering greatly’ due to the current state of play.
Nieto also revealed the role Rossi has played, claiming that he is ‘constantly’ asking how VR46 can improve and learn from mistakes.
Speaking to Speedweek, Nieto said: “We talk about it a lot with Valentino. Together, we are trying to support Franky as best we can. Valentino constantly asks how we can improve and what lessons we can draw from past mistakes. He is very heavily involved.
“Franky has been with the Academy for many years. We have known him for a long time, and we really don’t like seeing him in his current position. We also know that he is suffering greatly because of this situation.”
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Speaking last month during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Morbidelli said that he still has unfinished business in MotoGP, despite his uncertain future and constant links to the World Superbike Championship.
The 31-year-old admitted that his aim in the sport has changed over the years, but he still wants to complete his ‘task’ in the premier class.
As per Crash, Morbidelli said at Balaton Park: “I’m a racer. I love racing. I haven’t finished my task here.
“I think my task changed a little bit after the first three years in MotoGP. I was planning on winning the championship and I was really close after two years in 2020.
“But then I had some issues and I couldn’t get close to my aim. So my aim changed a bit. Now it’s getting back to win races first of all.
“It’s going to be important to get back to winning races before thinking about winning a championship. I’m far from that at the moment. So I would like to clear [complete] my task. That’s what I would like to do.”
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