Ducati-VR46: Valentino Rossi's team is out of excuses

VR46 has become Ducati’s first satellite team after Pramac’s move to Yamaha. In the last MotoGP season, the results of Di Giannantonio on the GP25 and Morbidelli on the GP24 fell somewhat short of expectations. There were too many setbacks in Valentino Rossi’s team garage. The results of the Marquez brothers leave no room for excuses.

The Tavullia team fielded the only factory bike that Ducati put on track outside of its official garage. Fabio Di Giannantonio raced on equal terms with Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia throughout the season. Given the issues encountered by the Piedmontese rider, some doubts arose about the factory package. But Franco Morbidelli was clear: "Both packages are really good when they work well. In fact, the GP25 had far fewer problems than the GP24, because we saw Marc finish P1 and P2 practically all year, and he was on the GP25".

Gresini’s results also showed that the Desmosedici GP24s were by no means in crisis. Alex Marquez took three victories and established himself as MotoGP runner-up. Rookie Fermin Aldeguer won in Indonesia. The two VR46 standard-bearers managed only six podiums in total. It is the only Ducati satellite team to have never won a Grand Prix during 2025. In a recent interview with Sky Sport, team manager Pablo Nieto admitted that "we have to improve" because VR46 must "fight for something that counts".

Despite all the problems, Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Lenovo team manager, expressed his support for Valentino Rossi’s squad. "We are happy with the team’s work. They are important to us and they have shown us their professionalism." However, he cannot hide VR46’s inconsistent performances. "Franky and Diggia did not perform well during the season," he told the official MotoGP website. "They had ups and downs. This doesn’t give the team what it deserves, because the team was working very well."

From next year, the fourth factory Desmosedici will go to the Gresini garage and will be entrusted to Alex Marquez. Results will dictate the roadmap for the future, also with a view to the major changes coming in 2027.

Photo: Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team