VR46 boss reveals the ‘very important’ thing Luigi Dall’Igna and Valentino Rossi did behind the scenes at Misano

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Valentino Rossi has been present at a number of MotoGP races in the current term, closely watching the progress that his VR46 Racing MotoGP outfit is making.

The team enjoy a relatively strong relationship with Ducati, who currently supply the team with one factory spec bike in the GP25, as well as one 2024-spec GP24.

There were talks of VR46 receiving two factory bikes from Ducati in the upcoming premier class campaign, which was later declined by Rossi in a potential cost-saving measure.

Instead, the 46-year-old has been putting in extra hours at the team to try and improve their results to get them back into their previous form of 2022, in which they won three Grands Prix.

Wins have been hard to come by in 2025, no doubt due to the pure dominance of Marc Marquez in the factory Ducati stable. The Spaniard has won 78% of all races this year, becoming an undeniable force that has been tough to reckon with.

Valentino Rossi: READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Valentino Rossi from stats to net worth

Alessio Salucci noted how Valentino Rossi spent ‘hours’ working in the VR46 garage at Misano

Speaking to DAZN as part of a Valentino Rossi-focused episode of their analytical series DECOD3D, VR46 team boss Alessio Salucci revealed how invested the nine-time world champion is in his MotoGP team.

“Valentino is very important. For example, today he is at the circuit and has spent four hours in the box looking at telemetry, working, talking with Gigi [Dall’Igna] and the riders.

“Then he talks with me and with Pablo. He is very attentive to everything and, above all, wants to share his experience with the riders.”

The Doctor is second to none when it comes to being able to give reliable feedback on where a team can find improvements, given his history as one of the most decorated riders to grace the premier class.

Rossi is a ‘competitive animal’ according to Jorge Lorenzo, which has seemingly translated into his post-racing career of trying to take his satellite MotoGP team to the top of the pecking order.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Valentino Rossi’s VR46 from current riders to bike

Many believed Valentino Rossi previously viewed VR46 as a business rather than a racing team

However, Rossi hasn’t always been portrayed as the hands-on team owner that Salucci alluded to.

The 46-year-old missed VR46’s launch at the beginning of the 2025 season, and due to his status as one of the most recognisable figures in MotoGP, sponsors of the team weren’t happy.

Many believe Rossi views VR46 Racing solely as a business to pad his pockets, but the recent words from the team boss suggest otherwise.

Despite also competing in the World Endurance Championship this year as he continues his professional racing career on four wheels, Rossi has been present at a number of MotoGP races this season, regularly being spotted within the garages of VR46.

The extra hours he is putting in with Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio are sure to aid their push to fight at the top of the grid.