VR46 Academy’s New Era: Bezzecchi’s Aprilia Move Fuels Future Ambitions

VR46: Bezzecchi's Agreement with Aprilia Fuels Further Drive to Proceed

Alessio Salucci: 'For our team, this serves as added inspiration to keep moving forward, aiming to establish a replicable model'

Luca Marini's move to Repsol Honda and Marco Bezzecchi's upcoming switch to Aprilia next season means that VR46 has once more succeeded in securing spots for young riders in factory MotoGP teams.

By the upcoming season, all four riders from the VR46 Academy currently competing in MotoGP will have had the experience of racing for factory teams. This includes the reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, who is with Ducati, and Franco Morbidelli, who spent two years at Yamaha before moving to Pramac.

However, with Marini and now Bezzecchi moving on, and no other young Academy prospects prepared to step up to MotoGP, what is the future of the VR46 team?

Director Alessio Salucci characterized Bezzecchi’s agreement with Aprilia, which was arranged internally by the VR46 Academy, as:

"A moment filled with mixed emotions… On one side, we are thrilled to have played a key role in helping a young rider from the VR46 Riders Academy transition to an official team."

"Conversely, after five seasons, our bond with Marco has become exceptionally special and familial. We have experienced numerous wonderful moments together, and many of our historical successes are associated with his name."

Instead of considering it a 'mission accomplished,' Salucci emphasized that the team's objectives are to continue advancing and improving beyond the Bezzecchi period.

The Bezzecchi Aprilia deal is a proud moment for the team and provides additional motivation to keep moving forward. They aim to establish a repeatable model, consistently aim high, and solidify their position as a benchmark structure in the championship.

"Regarding Marco, aside from his impressive achievements, we will cherish the numerous moments we experienced together both on and off the track."

"As the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, we can only wish him a future filled with triumphs and fulfillment. Up until Valencia, we'll keep putting in our best effort, ensuring no detail is overlooked as we strive to achieve our lofty objectives together."

Italian rider Fabio di Giannantonio, who is not affiliated with the VR46 Academy, is presently Bezzecchi’s teammate and is ranked higher than him in the world championship standings.

VR46 is expected to benefit from Pramac's anticipated move to Yamaha by strengthening its relationship with Ducati in the upcoming year.

Should Pramac partner with Yamaha, the VR46 team could potentially still feature an Academy rider in 2025, which might be Morbidelli.

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