Valentino Rossi lays down expectations for VR46 in MotoGP 2025

Taking over from Pramac as Ducati’s official satellite MotoGP team, expectations are ‘very high’ for Valentino Rossi’s VR46 squad in 2025.

While Pramac and Jorge Martin made history as Independent world champions last season, VR46 slumped from three wins and third in the 2023 standings with Marco Bezzecchi to just a single podium.

That was again by Bez, but he was left twelfth and last of the Ducatis in the final standings. New arrival Fabio di Giannantonio was tenth after missing the closing rounds due to shoulder surgery.

But the team’s upgrade in Ducati status means di Giannantonio will now be the only rider on the grid to have the same factory-spec Desmosedici GP25 as official Ducati Lenovo riders Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.

Alongside Diggia will be new signing Franco Morbidelli, who moves across from Pramac to take over the ex-Bezzecchi seat, riding a GP24.

“The expectations for the team in the 2025 season are very high because we are the second team of Ducati and the Ducati in recent seasons are very competitive and very strong,” said team owner and nine time world champion Valentino Rossi.

“So we hope that we can fight for some podiums, win some races if it's possible and try to arrive in the top positions in the championship, I want to say the top five.”

Both di Giannantonio and Morbidelli are proven MotoGP race winners, Diggia at Gresini Ducati in 2023 and Morbidelli on his way to title runner-up at Petronas Yamaha in 2020.

“We are very happy to have two Italian riders, one also from the Academy. And I think we can be very competitive,” Rossi added.

Morbidelli’s arrival is especially significant for Rossi. ‘Franky’ was the first official member of the Academy, its first world champion courtesy of his 2017 Moto2 title, and its first MotoGP race winner.

But until now, he has never raced for a VR46 team.

“To have Franco finally in the team is very special for us because Franco is an Academy rider and we’ve always stayed together for all of his career and tried to help him,” confirmed Rossi.

“So to have him in the team is like closing a circle and we hope we can be strong.”

di Giannantonio, by contrast, is the first VR46 team rider not to be part of the Academy.

After a pair of fourth places in his debut season at the Tavullia-based team, plus an upgrade in machinery, Rossi sees Diggia as a victory contender.

“The expectations for Diggia are very high because he’s demonstrated he’s very fast with the Ducati,” Rossi said. “He knows the bike and also the team, because he was already with us in 2024 where he demonstrated a lot of potential, a lot of speed.

“On a lot of occasions, he was a little bit unlucky so we hope this year we can achieve more podiums, victories and better results.”

di Giannantonio and Morbidelli will ride in VR46's distinctive fluorescent yellow and white livery, which now features some special touches from Rossi’s own career: Sun and moon stencils, plus a 46 surrounding their racing numbers.

“I’m very happy with the new livery,” Rossi said. “We followed the concept of last year with Aldo Drudi, my historic designer, and the bike with [florescent] yellow is very much ‘our’ bike. And now with the sun and moon and 46, it’s even more special.”

Speaking in an interview for the team’s launch in Jakarta on Saturday, home city of title sponsor Pertamina Rossi concluded: “Pertamina is our sponsor, it’s very good to make this project together. I think we are the national Indonesian team!

“It’s great to make the presentation there because Indonesia has a lot of MotoGP fans, and fans of our team.”

Rossi’s team will be on track with its 2025 machines and livery during the official Sepang test from February 5-7.