VR46 Ducati team boss Alessio Salucci has expressed admiration towards the potential to work with Franco Morbidelli amid speculation he could switch to the team.
With Marco Bezzecchi having penned a deal to come in alongside title contender Jorge Martin in an all-new line-up at Aprilia, it is unknown who will replace the Italian.
But with the announcement that Pramac has formulated a long-term technical partnership with Yamaha from next term, Morbidelli has been tipped to depart the side.
Morbidelli’s previous affiliation with the VR46 Academy and a strong relationship with Valentino Rossi indicate there is a viable chance that the switch will materialise.
Salucci expressed to Autosport he is interested in obtaining Bezzecchi’s signature for 2025, as he heaped praise on the 2020 championship runner-up’s capabilities.
Salucci said: “I would love to! I love him so much, so I would love to work with him and I have been saying this for a long time.
“Maybe next year could be the one where it becomes a reality.
“Yes, we would give a chance to another guy from the Academy, but it is still a long way off because there are so many things to fit together. I would love to, but let’s wait a few more weeks.”
Autosport indicates that if Morbidelli leaves VR46 in 2025, the Italian will continue riding the GP24 he currently rides with Pramac.
With official confirmation expected to be announced later this season, Autosport reports that Ducati will field only three GP25s and that Fabio Di Giannantonio will ride the final one with VR46.
It is suggested that Ducati have reduced the current-spec bikes to “keep costs under control”.
This news came after Pramac ended its affiliation with Ducati in favour of Yamaha, meaning the remaining six bikes will have an even split of this year’s spec GP24s and up-to-date GP25s.
VR46 are happily vocal that it has been provided with one GP25 but rather would have both riders occupying the up-to-date spec bikes.
“We have a super team and some awesome guys, we will never be a factory team because we don’t build bikes, but when the riders come they find a fantastic situation,” Salucci told Autosport.
“Even [Ducati MotoGP chief] Gigi Dall’Igna compliments us on the management. In fact they chose us as a reference team, starting from 2025 because Pramac left, but Ducati had already chosen us for 2027 as a reference team, independently of Pramac.”
“In the GP25, I don’t really agree with Dall’Igna, because we will have only one updated bike, while I would have wanted two as we have always done.
“But unfortunately or fortunately it is Ducati who decides, we will have one and we will make do with it.
“We will try to make it work in the best way, even if the other manufacturers are organised with four and we have three. But this will become even more unique because there will be two red ones and one of ours.”
