Ducati MotoGP boss Davide Tardozzi unexpectedly revealed the VR46 team’s 2025 rider lineup during the British Grand Prix.
Franco Morbidelli will join Fabio di Giannantonio at the factory-supported squad, Tardozzi confirmed.
However, VR46 chief Uccio Salucci was caught off guard by the premature announcement and confronted Tardozzi during practice.
The incident comes despite the two teams recently strengthening their partnership, with VR46 set to replace Pramac as Ducati’s primary satellite team in 2025.
A further complication is the allocation of Ducati bikes, with Di Giannantonio receiving the latest GP25 model while Morbidelli will continue on the GP24.
With the cat out of the bag regarding Morbidelli and Di Giannantonio’s future, the official announcement from VR46 is imminent.
Di Giannantonio’s impressive season, eclipsing his more experienced teammate Bezzecchi has earned him a promotion to the factory-backed VR46 team alongside Bagnaia and Marquez.
Morbidelli, a Rossi protégé, returns to the VR46 fold after a challenging stint at Pramac, where the Yamaha partnership proved problematic.
Despite joining the Ducati family, Morbidelli will have to settle for last year’s Desmosedici as the team receives only one latest-spec bike.
