VR46 future in the balance: Ducati vs Valentino Rossi over the post-Diggia plan

Valentino Rossi was spotted in the MotoGP paddock at Montmeló. The champion from Tavullia closely followed Friday’s free practice sessions at the Barcelona circuit, but in reality there’s also the future of the VR46 team to plan. With Fabio Di Giannantonio set to move to KTM at the end of the season, and Franco Morbidelli likely to leave the premier class, the starting point has to be the rider line-up before thinking about anything else.

The Pertamina VR46 Racing Team is enjoying a good run on track thanks to Diggia’s performances on the Ducati GP26. But behind the scenes, work is moving at a fast pace to find the right solution for the next MotoGP World Championship. The Roman rider has capitalized on this excellent start to the season, with two podiums and two 4th places in the first five races. In the rider market roulette, he has carved out a spot with the KTM factory team for 2027-2028, where he will partner with Alex Marquez. But he leaves a gap in the Tavullia garage, where for now only the arrival of Fermin Aldeguer is certain.

Diggia and VR46 have grown together year after year, but every MotoGP rider’s goal is to land a deal with a factory team. Now that the opportunity has arisen, Fabio has chosen to sign with the Mattighofen manufacturer, leaving Valentino Rossi to deal with a rather complicated situation. The priority is to find an Italian rider, to keep alive the essence of this team, which so far has always fielded Italian riders. Aldeguer will be the exception, but now a compatriot is needed.

Borgo Panigale is pushing hard for Nicolò Bulega, the undisputed ruler of WorldSBK, who is also spearheading the development of the Pirelli-shod Desmosedici GP27. But in Tavullia they’d like to keep a door open for Luca Marini, on the verge of parting ways with Honda. Especially now that the Tech3 deal has fallen through and the satellite team has renewed with KTM.

Open seats at HRC have practically vanished, and Marini risks being left off the grid for next season’s MotoGP championship. “We want to keep at least one Italian rider for next year as well, because our team has always grown with Italian riders,” Valentino Rossi explained regarding the roadmap. “So there are various options, several things to define. Nothing is official yet, we’ll see.”

Ducati is ready to provide maximum support for Bulega’s arrival at VR46, and seeing him in the Tavullia box would be a great relief, given the risk of losing the future Superbike champion. But there’s the issue of dealing with Valentino Rossi, who hasn’t hidden a certain displeasure toward Ducati. The coming weeks will be decisive, and at VR46 they’ll need to find the best compromise with the leadership of the Emilia-based manufacturer—even at the cost of casualties along the way. On the eve of the Mugello Grand Prix, the cards will have to be laid on the table.

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