Marco Bezzecchi
VR46 have lost the chance to sign Pedro Acosta for the 2027 MotoGP season after months of rumours, but Uccio Salucci has seemingly moved on.
The KTM rider was heavily linked with the team last year as he tried to find a way out of the Austrian manufacturer. Valentino Rossi is a keen admirer of Acosta and wanted to have him on board for 2027 after a deal could not be agreed upon for 2026.
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Pablo Nieto said it would be a ‘dream’ to sign Acosta to VR46. But again, contracts and negotiations proved problematic, ultimately leading the Spaniard to move elsewhere.
Acosta is set to join Ducati in 2027, partnering with Marc Marquez. He will fulfil his ambition of riding a Desmosedici in MotoGP, but he will sport the red factory colours rather than the yellow and black of VR46.
Uccio Salucci claims ‘it’s better this way’ after losing Pedro Acosta to Ducati
It was reported that Marquez gave Ducati the approval to sign Acosta, thus thwarting his arch-rival, Rossi, from signing his primary target. But as Salucci notes, the team have moved on to other priorities.
VR46 have signed Fermin Aldeguer, Acosta’s Murcian rival, for 2027 as Ducati will move him across from Gresini to receive factory support. Salucci says it is ‘better this way’ for the team after losing out on Acosta.
Have VR46 made the right decision signing Fermin Aldeguer over Pedro Acosta?
Addressing the links to the KTM rider, he told Motorsport Italia: “Yes, yes, yes, yes. Oh, come on, I’m sorry. He’s like Fermin; those two are the slightly younger riders now, the talented ones. They’re a bit like the future of MotoGP, aren’t they?
“So we would have loved to have him with us, Pedro, but unfortunately he had contracts, there was quite a bit of a fuss, quite a bit of a commotion around it, and it wasn’t easy. So we didn’t manage it, but hey, better this way.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend
Fabio Di Giannantonio could leave VR46 – who will they replace him with?
With Aldeguer joining VR46, Rossi’s team have one more seat to fill for the 2027 season. Franco Morbidelli looks to be leaving MotoGP at the end of the year, with the Spaniard replacing him.
Fabio Di Giannantonio has had an incredible start to the 2026 season, currently sitting third with two pole positions to his name. With his form, VR46 will likely want to keep him on board, but the Italian is hot property on the MotoGP rider market.
KTM are interested in Diggia, as well as several other teams. Factory support and a higher salary could entice him to make a switch for 2027 and leave VR46 needing to sign a new rider pairing.
If Diggia does leave, VR46 have four options on the table, including Morbidelli and Moto2 star Celestino Vietti, who is tied to Rossi’s academy. Salucci also mentions Nicolo Bulega as a candidate, as well as Luca Marini, who could return to the team from Honda.
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