Marco Bezzecchi
Valentino Rossi and VR46 are weighing up whether to extend their partnership with Ducati beyond the 2026 season. The team have raced with Desmosedici bikes since they made their MotoGP debut in 2022.
Rumours emerged over the winter that Rossi was negotiating with Aprilia, who have become the biggest threat to Ducati’s dominance.
Speaking at the launch of their 2026 bike last week, Uccio Salucci said VR46 value their relationship with Ducati very highly. But he also didn’t deny that an initial conversation about switching to Aprilia had taken place.
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Ducati lost Pramac to Yamaha at the end of the 2024 season, with VR46 stepping up to the second-in-command role. Aprilia already supply bikes to Trackhouse, so it’s unclear whether they would look to expand or reorganise.
Valentino Rossi and Massimo Rivola have a close relationship from Ferrari F1 days
Speaking on The Race podcast, journalist Simon Patterson relayed another revelation from Salucci at the Ducati launch. Rossi apparently has a ‘very friendly’ relationship with Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola, who used to oversee his F1 testing programme.
Rossi tested for the Italian giants on several occasions between 2006 and 2010 and even considered moving from MotoGP to F1.
Intriguingly, VR46 academy graduate Francesco Bagnaia has been linked with Aprilia. Perhaps he could race for Rossi’s team aboard an RS-GP in 2027.
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“[Salucci] let something slip that I had never made the connection of before,” Patterson said. There was a whisper that did the rounds a while back about VR46-Aprilia for ’27. Now there’s Pecco talking to Aprilia rumours.
“When Valentino Rossi did his Ferrari F1 testing stint, it was all organised by Massimo Rivola. Apparently that relationship has got very friendly again. There have been conversations, according to Uccio, because they’re quite pally these days.”
The clear sign that Valentino Rossi is taking VR46 role more seriously
VR46 could also link up with Yamaha in 2027, reuniting Rossi with the team where he won four world championships.
Looking to the immediate future, Rossi wants his team to win again this year. While fellow Ducati satellite squad Gresini took seven victories, including Sprints, VR46 missed out.
Rossi will continue to race himself this year, this time in GT cars rather than the World Endurance Championship.
His commitment to VR46 has been questioned at times, but he was at least present at the launch this year after skipping it in 2025.
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