Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team has finally officially confirmed its 2022 deal to expand to a two-bike Ducati customer MotoGP team.
VR46 will absorb the Esponsorama Racing outfit, having partnered up with Saudi oil giant Aramco and signed a three-year plan with Ducati to officially expand the Bologna firm’s presence on the grid to eight machines next season.
The news comes as no surprise whatsoever after months of speculation that it was set to happen and an unusual early announcement from Rossi’s new Saudi partners – but was finally confirmed by the team as well ahead of this weekend’s Dutch TT in Assen, after the deal was signed last week at the Sachsenring.
No details of the rider line-up for next year have been confirmed as of yet, but it seems all but certain that current VR46 rider Luca Marini will be joined by Moto2 front-runner Marco Bezzecchi (pictured below).
“We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with VR46 for the next three years,” said Ducati general manager Gigi Dall’Igna. “Their Academy has always worked seriously and with great professionalism, giving many riders the opportunity to gain experience in Moto2 and Moto3, and today they can be proud to have brought [to MotoGP] three young riders of great talent [Francesco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli and Marini]”.
One thing that is absolutely certain about the squad, despite much wishful thinking from fans, is that it will not include Rossi himself despite recent comments from Dall’Igna suggesting he would be happy to welcome the nine-time world champion back to the manufacturer.
Rossi is instead set to announce his retirement from MotoGP in the coming weeks, concentrating his energies for 2022 on both running his team and on a full campaign for Ferrari in the four-wheeled World Endurance Championship.
“Valentino is and will continue to be a very important part of the FIM MotoGP World Championship and now, with his team arriving in the class MotoGP, his extraordinary legacy will continue to inspire new generations of riders and fans,” said Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP promoter Dorna. “We welcome them to the premier class and look forward to many great achievements in the future.”
Under the new technical support contract secured by VR46, Marini is expected to receive the fifth of five full-factory 2022-spec Desmosedici machines for next year, joining factory riders Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia and both of the Pramac Racing duo of Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin.
That will leave Bezzecchi alongside new team Gresini Ducati on 2021 bikes, with both Enea Bastianini and rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio to receive this year’s factory-spec bikes for next season.
