The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is coming to the end of its contract with Ducati in MotoGP, so the future is uncertain. Yamaha is looking to have a satellite team and, considering the manufacturer’s connection to Valentino Rossi, a partnership seems plausible. However, this is not the team’s preferred scenario.
According to Motorsport.com, there is the possibility of unilaterally renewing the contract with Ducati until 2026, exercising an option valid until the end of May. In doing so, they would continue to receive the current treatment, with two bikes from the previous year’s version. However, the desire is different: to have at least one current bike.
Team director Uccio Salucci told the aforementioned site that switching from Ducati to Yamaha is complicated: ‘Yamaha is my second home. However, for them to enter, they would have to offer us a more competitive bike. Ducati is a great bike and its performance is very high. We owe that to our partners. Changing is not easy‘.
Pramac is currently the only Ducati satellite team with the most recent version of the bike. Despite also wanting this type of equipment, VR46 is not seeking the status of Pramac: ‘Pramac is the reference satellite team of Ducati. VR46 does not want this status. What we want is to grow and have a factory bike next year‘, explained Salucci.
With Yamaha, VR46 could have monetary advantages, but the sporting side seems to be the priority – especially since the team has heavyweight partners like Pertamina, ensuring a good financial position.
