Valentino Rossi breaks silence on Pedro Acosta to VR46 rumours
Star MotoGP prospect linked to move to Valentino Rossi’s team
Valentino Rossi has addressed rumours suggesting Pedro Acosta could join his VR46 MotoGP team next season amid KTM’s ongoing struggles.
Pedro Acosta has been a KTM rider throughout his short grand prix career so far, with the brand bringing him into Moto3 in 2021, where he won the title at the first time of asking.
A second title in Moto2 would follow in 2023, before he made his MotoGP debut with the KTM-backed Tech3 squad last year - during which he scored nine total podiums and was sixth in the standings.
But the expected early charge for the title in 2025 has not materialised, as KTM has been hit by numerous performance issues with its bike, leaving Acosta 13th in the points so far with a best finish of eighth having crashed in two of the three grands prix run so far.
Despite publicly backing KTM, his patience does appear to be running thin with the marque.
Read more: What should Pedro Acosta do for his MotoGP future?
The financial crisis that has affected KTM over recent months has also fuelled speculation that Acosta could quit the team next year.
The persistent rumour so far has been Acosta moving to VR46 on a Ducati next year, with Rossi’s outfit having one of only a few seats available for 2026.
Various VR46 team members have batted away the rumour, with Rossi publicly addressing it for the first time on Friday at the Qatar Grand Prix.
“I like Acosta very much. He’s a fantastic rider,” he told the MotoGP world feed.
“He’s very young and he has an incredible talent. But it’s very early and we are very happy with Franco [Morbidelli], with [Fabio] Di Giannantonio, also because they are part of us - we have grown up together. So, we will see.”
Pedro Acosta to Valentino Rossi's VR46 MotoGP team?
Acosta has been accused of public remarks designed to attract Ducati's attention, because of their ability to give him the best bike on the grid.
Morbidelli is the VR46 team rider without a contract currently for 2026, while Di Giannantonio has inked a deal to ride factory machinery until the end of next year.
Acosta has also been linked to a possible factory Honda move in 2026, with Luca Marini currently out of contract at the Japanese marque’s works squad.
During the Americas GP weekend, a conversation between Acosta and Pramac boss Paolo Campinoti sparked further rumours. Jack Miller only has a one-year deal with the Yamaha satellite team currently.
As far as the start to the season for VR46 has gone, with Morbidelli third in Argentina and Di Giannantonio third at COTA, Rossi said: “We are very happy about the start of the season for our team, because the bikes are so fast; our riders are in good shape and all the team made a big effort and a big job.
“So, I hope we can fight for the podium with both riders.”
