VR46 will field three teams in two Grand Prix classes for the next season and at the same time have “supporting” agreements with a pair of Moto3 outfits.
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In addition to full MotoGP entry with Ducati, VR46 will double its presence in the Moto2 class by leading a second team for Yamaha Master Camp riders.
The VR46 Master Camp Team is currently participating in the CEV Moto2 European Championship and is helping Yamaha develop young riders for the future. This year’s line-up consists of the Thai competitors Keminth Kubo and Peerapong Boonlert, the French Andy Verdoïa and McKinley Paz from the Philippines.
But for Moto3, the first step on the Grand Prix ladder, VR46 will continue to rely on placing its Academy riders on other teams.
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“In 2022 VR46 will be racing in Moto2 with two teams, including one” [new] Project with Yamaha. This project will come from the Spanish championship, it’s already there, so now it’s growing up and coming to the world championship, “explained VR46 team manager Pablo Nieto.
“Then it’s the same VR46 team as now in Moto2 and then in MotoGP with Ducati with the two riders everyone knows [Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi, still to be officially confirmed].
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“In Moto3 we’ll say we’re supporting two teams, Snipers and Avintia, but they’re separate [from VR46]. We have nothing more than an agreement that we will take some drivers from the academy there, which is important for us because we have so many drivers from the academy who are growing up.
“It was so difficult for us to keep the VR46 team in Moto3. I think we need to focus [efforts] because we have a lot to do. It’s important to do some deals with other teams [for Moto3]. “
For now, Nieto expects the official VR46 teams to stick to their primary goal of helping young Italian riders reach MotoGP.
“Right now our project is to get young riders from Italy into the World Championship and then into the MotoGP class,” he said. “I think we will continue like this for the moment.
“We have four riders in MotoGP (next year), that means the academy is working really well and the results are there.”
While VR46’s MotoGP riders for 2022, Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi, are an open secret, it remains to be seen who will be selected for Celestino Vietti in Moto2 and who will be selected by Yamaha for the Master Camp seats.
Both the official VR46 MotoGP and Moto2 teams will receive a new title sponsorship from Aramco next season. Doubts have been expressed about the deal, but Nieto says slow progress is being made.
“As you know we have made the agreement with Aramco and things are going very slowly,” he said. “There are some delays but we are on our way and have to keep working.”
The current list of the “official” VR46 Academy Riders:
1. Franco Morbidelli (MotoGP)
2. Francesco Bagnaia (MotoGP)
3. Luca Marini (MotoGP)
4. Marco Bezzecchi (Moto2)
5. Celestino Vietti (Moto2)
6. Stefano Manzi (Moto2)
7. Niccolò Antonelli (Moto3)
8. Andrea Migno (Moto3)
9. Alberto Surra (Moto3)