Valentino Rossi’s team and the rider, who recently moved to Aprilia, exchanged messages of greeting and affection
June 25, 2024
Dafter Pecco Bagnaia (in 2021), Franco Morbidelli (in 2021) And Luca Marini (in 2024) also the last MotoGP rider of the VR46, Marco Bezzecchi (from 2025), becomes an official rider in MotoGP.
The other three are or have been in Ducati, Yamaha and Honda. Bez it will be in Aprilia, alongside Jorge Martin.
But before talking about the future Bezzecchi greeted his team, even if there are still two thirds of the world championship to go.
“This team really means a lot to me, in every sense, both on and off the track. From Vale, to Uccio, to Pablo, to all the people who work in the Team. From the technicians, mechanics, the guys in the office, the Hospitality group, in short, everyone. I arrived here after a difficult period, yes I was already in the Academy (VR46 Riders Academy ed.), but despite everything, they welcomed me in an incredible way and we created a winning combination right away. I’m back to riding fast on my motorbike, feeling at home, having fun and, through ups and downs, I’ve never lost this feeling. A lot of satisfaction has come from first podium in Moto2 in Jerez immediately after Covid until today, passing through the first victory in Moto2the podium in the World Championship in 2021 and the promotion to MotoGP”.
Again: “And then Assen in 2022 and many other special moments such as third place in the Championship. We will never forget the fraction of a second in which I crossed the finish line at the Argentine GP in 2023, yes I speak in the plural, because it was the first victory for me in the premier class, but also the first seal in the Top class for I believe 90% of the people who have been working on this project for many years. This It will bind me forever to this team and I am very proud of it. It will be a indelible memory however things will go in the future. Like all good stories, this one too it will have an endingI hope beautiful, I hope with many good goals still between now and the Valencia GP, I know that none of us will give up and we will give our best until the checkered flag, together.”
Greetings from Alessio Salucci
“This – said Uccio – is a bitter sweet moment for our team. On the one hand we can only be happy to have played an important role in the leap of a young rider from the VR46 Riders Academy into an official structure, on the other, after five seasons, our relationship with Marco is truly special, familiar, we have experienced many beautiful moments together and many of the successes of our history are linked to his name. With him we achieved one of the objectives for which this Team was born: to bring young talents from the lower classes to MotoGP, cultivate them, achieve success and support them until reaching an official structure. Marco gave us two beautiful seasons in Moto2, but above all he was the first rider of the Team to get on the podium, to win a race in the Top class and to center the third place in the general classification in his second year in MotoGP. As a team, this is an extra source of pride and motivation for us to continue in this direction, to create a model to repeat, to always aim high and to consolidate ourselves as a reference structure in the Championship.”
“Di Marco, beyond the great results, will remain the many moments shared on and off the track. As the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team we can only hope for a future full of successes and satisfactions for him. Until Valencia we will continue to work without leaving anything to chance to achieve ambitious goals together” concluded Uccio.
Bez’s career
Bezzecchi was the first pilot to have reached the podium (Dutch GP 2022) and to have won a Grand Prix with the fluorescent yellow VR46 in the Top class (Argentina GP 2023). Having landed in the premier class aboard a Ducati at the start of the 2022 season, he won the title Rookie of the Year.
2023 is the year of consecration, fast on all occasions and constant. Despite the injury in the final stages of the Championship (collarbone fracture in training), won the third place overall with three victories (also a Sprint victory in Assen) and 13 podiums (7 GP podiums and 6 Sprint podiums).
A success story which includes, in addition to the three GPs in MotoGP, also three victories in Moto2 and the world team title (in 2020 paired with Marini) and third place in the overall in 2021.
This year Bez is 11th in the standings with 45 points and in Jerez he obtained his first podium of the season.
