Ryan Vickers admitted he was “a little bit shocked” with how Motocorsa has managed his exit from the team ahead of the 2026 WorldSBK season.
Vickers and Motocorsa announced they parted ways over the Estoril WorldSBK weekend, with the team still seeking a replacement.
In a statement, Team Manager Lorenzo Mauri revealed they had a 1+1 deal which was not extended.
However, Vickers disputed this claim and suggested his deal had the potential to run for three years.
“We had a two-year contract plus one,” Vickers explained to the media, including Motorsport Week.
“It wasn’t a 1+1 contract, it was a two-year contract plus one, so it was potentially three years.
“We agreed to do what we were going to do, and we were able to commit to that for the duration of the full length of the contract. Unfortunately, these circumstances have changed for the team.
“There was obviously a rumour that somebody was coming in with a lot of money.
“This instantly led to a termination agreement, which we were forced to sign because we weren’t able to achieve the request that was made.”
The British rider continued to suggest the statement released by the team “wasn’t 100% correct.”
“I was a little bit shocked by the press release and how it was worded,” Vickers said.
“It wasn’t 100% correct in my opinion, and the team have been happy with the performance.
“I don’t know from the team boss’ side, but from the crew inside the garage that I work with every weekend, they’ve been really happy.
“They’ve seen a lot of improvements and they’re really disappointed that I’m not able to do the second year because they know that we would’ve had a big step.”
‘Not achievable in any way’ – Ryan Vickers set for WorldSBK exit
The British rider also suggested “obscene” requests from satellite WorldSBK teams have prevented the opportunity to remain in the paddock for 2026.
Rumours suggest Vickers will return to the BSB paddock with PBM Ducati, though he is continuing to assess his options.
“The best situation would be to stay in this paddock,” Vickers told Motorsport Week.
“Like I said before, the requests the teams are asking for are obscene. It’s not achievable in any way, shape or form.
“This is a real shame for the sport because it’s not with the correct value riders in the right seats, that’s the unfortunate thing.
“So we’ve got to look at options to give us the best opportunity of arriving back here.”
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