EXCLUSIVE - Franco Morbidelli has his say on MotoGP rider market pecking order
Franco Morbidelli is out of contract at the end of 2025
VR46 MotoGP rider Franco Morbidelli says he is “confident” his 2025 form is “assuring ourselves the best situation” for next season as he looks for a new contract.
The three-time grand prix winner signed for VR46 Racing for the 2025 campaign in a move that was seen as something of a last chance for him after several tough years.
From the off, Franco Morbidelli has been strong on the Ducati GP24 and has scored his first grand prix podiums since 2021 inside the first six rounds.
Currently, he is fourth in the standings ahead of factory-supported team-mate Fabio Di Giannantonio ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.
Morbidelli is out of contract at the end of the year, with his VR46 seat linked to Pedro Acosta - though these talks have gone quiet in recent weeks.
There are options elsewhere on the grid for 2026, with seats available at the factory Honda, LCR Honda and Pramac Yamaha officially.
Franco Morbidelli on MotoGP rider market
When asked by crash.net in an exclusive interview on Thursday at Silverstone where talks had gotten to for next year, he said: “You can never be relaxed in this world. That’s for sure.
“What I learned, even if I try to stay relaxed, or everybody sees me as a relaxed kind of person, I can assure you that I’m not.
“You cannot relax in this kind of world.
“Talking about riders market, this is the moment of the year where everybody starts to take into consideration the best chances that they can get.
“And under this point of view, I’m quite confident that me and my team will take the best chance for performing in the best way, because according to the performance we had at the beginning of this season, we were good enough to have one of the top spots for assuring ourselves the best situation.
“So, we will discuss about it together for sure and we will decide on the best situation for sure.”
The rider market for 2026 has been plunged into deeper intrigue in recent weeks following a bombshell report that Jorge Martin is looking to leave Aprilia.
The Italian marque issued a statement on Thursday essentially denying this, noting that no discussions had taken place about altering the terms of Martin’s contract and that the deal in place to the end of 2026 must be honoured.
