VR46 puts pressure on Marc Marquez: 'He was lucky'

The first part of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship closes with highly positive notes for Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team. Fabio Di Giannantonio’s fifth place in the standings, 24 points behind leader Jorge Martin, pushes the Tavullia squad to chase the world title dream. In the meantime, the neon-yellow team is preparing for the regulatory changes (and more) slated for 2027.

Two podiums and a victory for the Roman rider in the first part of this MotoGP season, plus five more podiums in the Sprints. A total of 184 points that keep the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team’s dreams very much alive. It’s a pity that at the end of the year ‘Diggia’ will change colors and move to the KTM factory team, a tough but very understandable choice. At the peak of his career, he’s been whisked away by the Austrian manufacturer. It’s impossible to prevent; a factory team is well above a satellite team from both a technical and financial standpoint. “When you do a good job, manufacturers step in and try to take your rider away... We’re very sorry, but I understand the choice he wanted to make,” commented team manager Pablo Nieto to ‘Mundo Deportivo’.

Jorge Martin’s 2024 MotoGP title with Pramac bodes well for Valentino Rossi’s men. But they’re keeping their feet on the ground, taking it race by race without doing too much title math. We’ll see toward the end of the championship. They have to reckon not only with Aprilia, but also with internal competition. Marc Marquez remains the big favorite, especially after his flawless performance at the Sachsenring. “He was also lucky that Bezzecchi, who was leading, made a lot of mistakes on Sunday,” Nieto added.

One eye on the present and one on the future. VR46 is already planning for the 2027 season, when Fermin Aldeguer (officially confirmed) will be in the garage alongside the ‘surprise’ Nicolò Bulega, strongly pushed by Borgo Panigale. “Right now he’s obviously breaking all the records in Superbike, and the speed he’s reaching is truly impressive. It’s also true that he’s one of the riders who started with us, so we know each other. He left in a slightly abrupt way. But he maintained an excellent relationship with us and we know how much talent he has.”

Valentino Rossi’s presence is a guarantee for Ducati’s satellite team, along with a group of technicians and mechanics that, year after year, are blending together more and more perfectly. “What we do is try to filter things. We filter everything and then, when there are truly important matters, we meet with Vale, put everything on the table, and decide together. Obviously, the final decision always rests with him.” The nine-time world champion is currently focused on car racing, going through a transition phase from being a rider to entering “semi-retirement.” But the MotoGP paddock always remains his second home. “I think Vale spent one or two years where he had to adapt a bit to his new life.”

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