MotoGP | Official, VR46 with Ducati, Rossi possible rider together with Marini

MotoGP VR46 Ducati World Championship – All that was missing was the official announcement and now that has arrived too. The VR46 Team which will be present in MotoGP next year will have two Ducatis at its disposal.

Yamaha and Ducati were on the ballot, but the latter had overtaken the Iwata manufacturer in recent days.

One of the two riders will be Luca Marini, while the doubt about the second guide has not yet been resolved, which could be entrusted to Marco Bezzecchi, but the path that would sensationally bring Valentino Rossi back to Ducati after 10 years remains open.

The Borgo Panigale company will field 8 bikes in 2022 as follows: "Pecco" Bagnaia and Jack Miller with the official Desmosedicis, Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin with the Desmosedicis of Team Pramac, Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio with those of Team Gresini and the two of Team VR46 with Luca Marini and the other driver to be decided.

The Team will be called Aramco Racing Team VR46 and the contract with Ducati lasts three years, while the one with Dorna Sports is for five years. Leading the team will be Pablo Nieto, linked to the VR46 Riders Academy and the Sky Racing Team VR46 in Moto3 and Moto2 since 2015.

As reported in the official press release: “The agreement consolidates the partnership between VR46 and Tanal Entertainment Sport&Media, the joint venture with Saudi Aramco and is part of Tanal Entertainment Sport&Media's investment plans connected to Saudi Vision 2030. These include large urban planning projects linked to the brand KSA New Cities, research and cutting-edge technology with the involvement of MAIC Technologies, KMHG and other international partners and projects aimed at sustainability also in the Motorsport sector.”

Statements Alessio “Uccio” Salucci Alessio Salucci, VR46 Riders Academy

“We are happy to be able to announce that in 2022 we will race in MotoGP with a team of two riders in the colors of the VR46. A journey that began just over eight years ago with the birth of the VR46 Riders Academy, a beautiful adventure shared with Sky, a long, challenging journey, but full of satisfaction and which makes us very proud. This goal has a truly singular meaning, but it is not a point of arrival. Year after year, since 2013, we have grown, we have managed to write some beautiful pages of our sport between Moto3 and Moto2 and we have crossed paths with many young talents of Italian motorcycling who we have had the privilege of being able to support in their growth path and which we will continue to support from the lower classes up to MotoGP. A key moment in our history that would not have been possible without Carmelo Ezpeleta who has always believed in this project and in Ducati for the trust he has placed in us for the future."

Statements Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO Dorna Sports on Ducati VR46

“Having the pleasure of welcoming Team VR46 to the MotoGP category in 2022 is exciting for both fans around the world and the MotoGP paddock who have followed Valentino Rossi's incredible career and the growth of the VR46 Riders Academy since the beginning . 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 MotoGP class, his extraordinary legacy will continue to inspire new generations of riders and fans. We welcome them to the Premier Class and look forward to many great results in the future.”

Statements His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Ducati VR46

“To communicate the beauty of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, from our thousand-year history to the major projects that have been announced for the coming years, we have chosen VR46 for a five-year joint venture as a strategic partner to compete as protagonists in the MotoGP World Championship organized by Dorna Sports. The agreement just signed between the Team and Ducati for the supply of motorcycles for the 2022-2024 seasons is certainly news that we welcome very positively. Ducati is a company that has great value both in Italy and abroad as well as having demonstrated incredible competitiveness. It would be fantastic for me if Valentino Rossi could compete in the coming years as a driver of our Aramco Racing Team VR46 together with his brother Luca Marini who already this year competes with the sponsorship of our brands KSA New Cities, MAIC Technologies, TANAL Entertainment Sport&Media. TANAL Entertainment Sport&Media and Aramco in the next few days will announce from Saudi Arabia a collaboration in international motorsport projects and the details of the project with VR46 in the MotoGP and Moto2 world championship with the hope of being able to further extend the presence in the world championship which represents a spectacle fantastic for training young Saudi champions in the imminent future.”