Three years after starting out in MotoGP, the VR46 team has established itself as one of the benchmarks in the premier class with Marco Bezzecchi’s three victories in 2023 (Argentina, France and India), and performing well overall in scoring points for the constructors’ championship.
The Tavullia team has signed a contract with Ducati’s Factory Supported Team, incorporating official technical personnel and receiving the same updates and improvements that are developed for the red team during the next campaign.
Uccio Saluccias team director, has effusively declared his joy at this news:
«I can only be proud to announce that from next year the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will be the Ducati Factory Supported Team in MotoGP™. We will be on track with an official bike and a GP24. If you had told me this a few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s a truly significant moment for the whole group: to have achieved this result in just three years, with a young team, with so many guys with us since Moto3™, is something extraordinary. I would like to thank all the people who work in the team, the partners, in particular Pertamina Lubricants, Ducati and Gigi Dall’Igna for having believed in this project and having managed to carry it out today as it deserves. Demanding years await us, full of challenges, but we are eager to put ourselves to the test and try to achieve ambitious results.«.
Gigi D’Allignathe general manager of Ducati Corse has made the following statement:
«From day one, the VR46 Racing Team has shown that it knows how to work in perfect harmony with Ducati and, in recent years, we have achieved great results. We are delighted to further strengthen this relationship by providing the team with factory support starting next season. I am sure that together we can achieve great things. I thank Valentino, Uccio and Pablo, and all the people who work in the team with great passion and dedication.«.
By 2025, the VR46 will feature Di Giannantonio on a factory bike
This news is sure to fuel the ambitions for next season among the riders who will ride the future VR46 machines. A mystery that seems to be being resolved, at least partially, after hearing the statements made by Davide Tardozzi (team director of Lenovo Ducati) this weekend at Silverstone.
Although there is still no official announcement, everything points to Fabio Di Giannatonio being the one to pilot the VR46 Full Factory. The Desmosedici ’24 is still not clear who will have ownership next year, but the names that are most likely to be mentioned are Franco Morbidelli and Fermin Aldeguer.
