Before going to Ducati, VR46 Wanted to Collaborate with Suzuki

RiderTua.com – Uccio Salucci, Director of the VR46 MotoGP team, revealed that initially the team wanted to join Suzuki, before carrying out initial negotiations with Ducati. Not without reason, because they were worried that they would be negatively impacted by Valentino Rossi’s previous experience with them.

As is known, for 2 years Rossi failed with Ducati (2011 and 2012), a mission to unite the Italian racing superstar with the Italian brand which turned out to backfire. 8 years later, Rossi’s VR46 team, is negotiating their entry into MotoGP and Ducati is an interested party.

Before going to Ducati, VR46 wanted to join Suzuki

Alessio Salucci said, “At the beginning Vale told me that MotoGP would be difficult. That it wasn’t in Moto2 that we had a lot of success. It was in 2020 and I told him that maybe I felt better with MotoGP. In that sense, Moto2 is really “It’s new for us even though I have been with Vale for many years in MotoGP and always with the official team.”

Valentino Rossi – Motoranch VR46

“So everything went and we went. Vale gave me the project and here we are. At first I wanted to work with Suzuki, then Suzuki didn’t make the bike and withdrew. Yamaha was with Petronas and we didn’t want to bother anyone,” added his friend and right-hand man That Rossi.

VR46 has finally become a Ducati satellite team, writing a new chapter in the ‘awkward’ relationship between the famous Italian racing star and his biggest bike manufacturer.

Uccio further explained, “At the first meeting with Paolo Ciabatti and Gigi Dall’Igna, it felt a little strange for me to talk about our bike. But I immediately saw the right ‘eyes’ in them, with desire. I was afraid of the ‘legacy’ we were leaving behind at Ducati. On the contrary, I see that they want to take us and make us improve. So I’m having fun.”

“Gigi is a genius, we chat well with each other, although sometimes we have disagreements but we immediately get back on track. I never thought I could have this relationship with them. It was a very positive surprise for Ducati.”

The VR46 team rides a 1 year old Ducati and managed to win their first MotoGP race last season through Marco Bezzecchi at the Argentine GP. Bezzecchi’s success in becoming a title challenger puts Rossi’s team in a team to be reckoned with. Even though Rossi’s younger brother, Luca Marini, left for Repsol Honda, VR46 chose Fabio di Giannantonio instead.

The short-term question that continues to loom over Rossi’s VR46 team is whether to stay with Ducati or look for a new manufacturer. Their current contract expires at the end of 2024 although VR46 can choose to extend it automatically.

However, it is no longer a secret that they have also ‘talked’ with KTM and Yamaha, the places where Rossi was forged into a famous rider and appointed as a brand ambassador. However, VR46 has repeatedly claimed that Ducati is their number one choice.

Davide Tardozzi (Ducati Levono team manager) said, “This is something that is being discussed. VR46 told us that they want to immediately extend the contract with us. To be honest, the decision is in the hands of Gigi and the Valentino Rossi people. This is something we want to continue for the next 2 years.”