Official: Franco Morbidelli to leave Yamaha MotoGP team

The move clears the way for LCR Honda's Alex Rins to join Fabio Quartararo at the Monster team next season.

• UPDATE:  "Great asset" Alex Rins officially confirmed at Yamaha for MotoGP 2024

Morbidelli, a race winner and title runner-up for Petronas Yamaha but without a podium since being promoted to the factory team after Maverick Vinales' mid-2021 exit, is now expected to move to a satellite Ducati squad, either VR46 or Gresini.

The Italian, 28, starts this weekend's British MotoGP eleventh in the world championship, but only two places behind Quartararo.

A Yamaha statement read:

'Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces that its partnership with Franco Morbidelli will be discontinued at the end of 2023 when Morbidelli will move on to new racing challenges.

'Since Morbidelli joined Yamaha in 2019, the Italian achieved six podiums: three victories, one second, and two third places. He also claimed two pole positions and was MotoGP Vice World Champion in 2020. After a short break due to a knee injury during the 2021 season, Morbido made a comeback at the San Marino GP as part of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. In total he contested 74 GPs as a Yamaha rider so far.

'Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., Yamaha Motor Racing, and the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team are extremely grateful for Morbidelli‘s contributions, never-diminishing motivation, and his positive mindset. They look forward to sharing more memorable moments during the remaining 12 MotoGP rounds of 2023.

'Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. wishes Morbidelli the very best in his future racing endeavours and reconfirms Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team‘s full support for him for the remainder of the season to end their partnership on a high note.

'Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing said:

“First and foremost, I want to thank Franky for his hard work and dedication ever since he started with the Factory Team and also long before that when he was a Satellite rider for Yamaha. The Yamaha and Morbidelli partnership led to some great results, including an outstanding vice-champion title in 2020.

“It‘s a shame that the last two years didn‘t play out the way we both wanted and hoped for. We discussed the possibilities to continue our partnership, but ultimately we decided that 2024 would be a moment to make a change, both for Yamaha and for Franky.

“The team will proceed to fully support Franky in every way we can to close out our time spent together in the best possible way.”'

With Morbidelli's contract expiring at the of this season, the Monster Yamaha ride is the only factory MotoGP seat up for grabs in 2024.

WorldSBK star Toprak Razgatlioglu had been a previous rival for Morbidelli's place, but the Turkish star opted to stay in SBK and switch to BMW after some difficult private MotoGP tests.

Former factory Suzuki star Rins, winner for LCR at COTA but currently recovering from a fractured leg, then emerged as a serious contender for the Yamaha ride during the summer break and - with Morbidelli confirmed as departing - is now assumed to have completed a deal.