MotoGP: Franco Morbidelli will join Prima Pramac Ducati in 2024

Franco Morbidelli has signed to race for Prima Pramac Ducati in 2024.

Franco Morbidelli has announced that he will switch to race for Pramac Ducati for the 2024 MotoGP season. Morbidelli will make the switch from the factory Yamaha team after five years with the manufacturer.

The Italian will join the Italian manufacturer next season, joining Jorge Martin in the Prima Pramac Ducati team. It’ll be the first time since 2020 that the Pramac time will have an Italian flag inside the pit box – last with Francesco Bagnaia.

Morbidelli’s first season in MotoGP came in 2018 after winning the Moto2 World Championship with Marc VDS. In 2019 he made the switch to Yamaha, joining the newly formed Petronas Yamaha SRT squad.

Franco Morbidelli is currently 12^th position in the MotoGP standings, behind his teammate Fabio Quartararo. His best season in the class came in 2020, with a second-place finish in the Championship. In 2020 he scored three race wins and two pole positions with only Joan Mir ahead in the standings.

The Prima Pramac Ducati Racing team is currently in first position in the 2023 teams’ standings. Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco currently ride for the team with Zarco switching to LCR Honda next year.

This move also leaves one less seat available for 2024 with rumours continuing to circulate about Marc Marquez’s future.

General Manager of Ducati Corse, Luigi Dall’Igna, said: “It is a pleasure for us to welcome Franco Morbidelli to our factory-supported Pramac Racing team for the upcoming sports season, riding an official Desmosedici GP.

“Franco is a rider of great talent and experience, and on more than one occasion, he has demonstrated his strength and speed. It’s no coincidence that in 2020, he was the MotoGP vice-world champion, winning three Grand Prix races.

“We are confident that, together with the Pramac Racing team and thanks to our support, he will be able to show his full potential. We look forward to embarking on this new exciting adventure together.”

Prima Pramac Racing Team Manager, Gino Borsoi, added: “It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with a champion like Franco. I have great confidence in him and his talent. I am sure he will feel very comfortable in our team, and together, we will achieve great results.”

Prima Pramac Racing Team Principal, Paolo Campinoti, said: “I am very happy that Franco is joining our family for 2024. I have an excellent relationship with him, and he has proven to be a champion on many occasions. I am confident that in our team, he will find the right conditions to fight for the positions he deserves.”

Image credit: motogp.com