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Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi has firmly denied reports linking Maverick Viñales with a test rider role for the Italian manufacturer ahead of the 2027 MotoGP season.
The ten-time premier class race winner is set to be left without a full-time seat on the grid for 2027 after relations with Tech3 and KTM deteriorated significantly over the summer. The Spaniard believes drawn-out talks with KTM prevented him from exploring timely alternatives in a fast-moving rider market.
With Viñales' future unresolved five rounds before the end of the campaign, speculation mounted regarding a potential move to Ducati. However, Tardozzi clarified that the rumors were purely media invention after a journalist spotted them walking together in the Motegi paddock in Japan.
"I've had a close relationship with Maverick for a long time, and his personal physio is a childhood friend of my son. It is purely a friendship. We were seen walking together from the offices to the hospitality unit at Motegi, and that's how the rumor started," Tardozzi told GPOne. "The journalist simply made up the story, or perhaps gave us an idea—who knows. My bond with Maverick goes beyond professional ties. The truth is, we are looking ahead to the future and mindful of Michele's age, so we will likely need someone down the line."
Speaking during the Indonesian Grand Prix, Viñales admitted that he is looking for a project that provides genuine motivation and remains uncertain whether a test rider role could satisfy that. Nevertheless, Ducati still face questions regarding their test team lineup for 2027.
Ducati's testing duties are currently handled by Nicolo Bulega and Michele Pirro, but Bulega is set to step up to a full-time seat with the VR46 squad next season. Pirro is now 40 and has not raced as a regular in MotoGP since 2012, whereas direct rivals Yamaha, Honda, and KTM rely on test riders with recent premier-class racing experience.
Viñales' vast experience across various MotoGP machinery would be a valuable asset. Although wild-card entries are prohibited for 2027, he would represent a high-calibre replacement option should any of Ducati's factory riders suffer an injury.
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