Valentino Rossi protege gets surprise MotoGP debut at Valencia test

The VR46 Ducati squad has announced that Moto2 race winner Celestino Vietti will get a surprise MotoGP debut on Tuesday at the Valencia test following Franco Morbidelli’s injury.

Franco Morbidelli was declared unfit to take part in Tuesday’s post-season test at Valencia, after he injured his left hand in a bizarre startline incident.

The three-time grand prix winner ran into the back of Honda’s Aleix Espargaro while pulling up to his grid spot ahead of the start of last Sunday’s Valencia Grand Prix.

Morbidelli suffered a fracture in his left hand, which means he is unable to take part in Tuesday’s first 2026 test day.

As a result, VR46 has decided to give 24-year-old prospect Celestino Vietti his first opportunity to ride a MotoGP bike, as he takes over Morbidelli’s Desmosedici for Tuesday’s test.

Vietti made his grand prix debut in 2018 with the VR46 squad, and remained with MotoGP legend Rossi’s outfit until 2022.

He took his first wins in 2020 in Moto3, and won three times in Moto2 in 2022 with the VR46 outfit.

Remaining part of the VR46 Academy, Vetti served stints with Fantic Racing, KTM Ajo and Team HDR Heidrun in 2023, 2024 and 2025, scoring five victories in that time.

He ended the 2025 season seventh in the Moto2 standings.

Vietti will use the No.13 on Tuesday at the Valencia test and is now one of three rookies taking part, alongside Toprak Razgatlioglu and Diogo Moreira.

A brief statement from VR46 read: “Following the left–hand injury sustained by Franco Morbidelli in Sunday’s race, the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team has decided to offer Celestino Vietti the opportunity to take part in today’s official MotoGP test at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit (Spain), together with Fabio Di Giannantonio.

“The VR46 Riders Academy Moto2 rider will test a MotoGP bike – the Ducati Desmosedici GP – for the first time.

“Vietti raced with the VR46 Racing Team in the lower categories for four seasons, from 2019 to 2022.”

VR46 Academy riders are no strangers to making on-off MotoGP test appearances at Valencia.

In 2016, Pecco Bagnaia rode an Aspar Ducati for a few laps during the test as part of a bet for winning a certain number of races in Moto3 that year.