Claudio Domenicali: Franco Morbidelli “most probably” Ducati WorldSBK rider in 2027

Franco Morbidelli’s future remains unofficial, but also unofficially confirmed as Claudio Domenicali has now spoken about he likelihood of the Italian heading to WorldSBK next season.

Current MotoGP rider Morbidelli was at Cremona Circuit last weekend, watching Nicolo Bulega become WorldSBK champion with the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team.

He spoke to the world feed broadcast after the race and said the production derivative series would be his new “world” in 2027, a kind of unofficial confirmation that he will be going to WorldSBK next season.

Morbidelli didn’t mention the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team, although it had been strongly rumoured long before the Italian Round.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has now added to the unofficial confirmation of Morbidelli’s future, saying at Cremona that Morbidelli will “most probably” be Iker Lecuona’s team-mate next year.

“2027 will be restarting from zero, will be different rules and even it could be much tougher,” said Domenicali, speaking to WorldSBK.com after Race 2 at Cremona.

“Let’s enjoy now 2026. We still have some races to do. 

“In 2027 we will see again Ducati on the grid with Superbike. We will have Iker [Lecuona], we have Morbidelli most probably – still to be decided the final details but most probably will be like this – and so we are happy also about what we start for next year.”

Nothing has yet been confirmed officially for Morbidelli, although Aruba.it Racing Ducati manager Serafino Foti told WorldSBK.com on Sunday that an announcement could be expected “next week”, meaning the week starting 28 September.

“At the moment we have Iker [Lecuona],” Foti said.

“I want to congratulate also Iker because he did a really amazing weekend, he won three races, so we have for the future a really fast rider. 

“For the second rider, as soon as possible, probably next week, we inform you about the second rider.”