Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1547011
Barcia To Suzuki S uzuki Motor USA and Pipes Motorsports Group an- nounced that Justin Barcia will race the 2027 SuperMotocross season aboard the Suzuki RM-Z450. "I'm thrilled to be joining a championship-winning team like Pipes Motorsports Group and a proven bike like the Suzuki RM- Z450 for the upcoming season," said Barcia. "This is a fresh start for me, and I couldn't be more excited for what's ahead. Dustin, the team, and everyone involved have built a top-tier program, and I'm ready to put in the work this offseason, give it my all and deliver results. Can't wait to see what we can accomplish together." "We are really excited to have Justin join the team for the 2027 season," added Dustin Pipes, team principal at Pipes Motor- sports Group. "I've always been a fan of the effort he puts into every moto and the competitor he is on the racetrack. He will fit in well with the team, and I look forward to working with him." The agreement is for the 2027 season and includes a mu- tual option for both parties to extend the relationship through the 2028 season. Barcia rode a Suzuki in 2017 while a member of the JGRMX Team. Barcia will make his Pipes Mo- torsports Suzuki race debut at the opening round of the 2027 Super- Motocross World Championship on January 9 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. CN WIND IN THE P28 Justin Barcia has signed with the Pipes Motorsports Group, riding the HEP Motorsports Suzuki RM-Z450 in 2027. Morbidelli Finally Confirmed at Aruba.it – Ducati F ranco Morbidelli will make the switch from MotoGP to WorldSBK in 2027, joining the factory Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team as the replacement for newly crowned WorldSBK Cham- pion Nicolo Bulega. The 31-year-old Italian will partner Iker Lecuona aboard Ducati's Panigale V4 R, bringing nine seasons of MotoGP expe- rience to a team that has just secured the Riders', Teams' and Manufacturers' WorldSBK titles. Bulega, meanwhile, will move in the opposite direction, joining the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Rac- ing Team in MotoGP alongside Fermin Aldeguer. Morbidelli enters WorldSBK having won the 2017 Moto2 World Championship before moving to MotoGP in 2018. His strongest premier-class season came in 2020, when he scored three victories for Yamaha and finished runner-up to Joan Mir in the championship. "I am very happy and excited about this new chapter in my career," Morbidelli said. "I thank Ducati and Aruba for this op- portunity. As always, I will give my best to live up to a team that has been fighting at the top for years." CN One of the worst-kept secrets has finally been confirmed: Franco Morbidelli is heading to WorldSBK on the factory Ducati in 2027.