The VR46 squad will debut their new "Pertamina" livery at an event in Italy later this month. The Indonesian oil company Pertamina has taken over as the new title sponsor for Valentino Rossi's team for the next third season in the premier class, replacing Mooney. Asmirandi Noor Huda, brand communications manager at Pertamina, revealed the debut date to TMC Blog as January 24th in Italy, while VR46 has not officially announced it. A hectic week of MotoGP launches begins with the Gresini Ducati on January 20, followed by the factory Ducati Lenovo team on the 22nd.
In 2023, VR46 made history by winning its first MotoGP races and, for a short time, sharing the lead in the world championship with Marco Bezzecchi. For the 2024 season, Bezzecchi will be back at the helm of the squad's equipment, which is a year old Ducati. Fabio di Giannantonio, winner of the Qatar Grand Prix, joins him from Gresini to replace Luca Marini.
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MotoGP: VR46 and Pertamina
For the next three premier class seasons, Valentino Rossi's VR46 MotoGP team will be sponsored by the Indonesian oil giant Pertamina. The squad will be known as the Pertamina Enduro V46 Racing Team starting in the 2024 season. Notably, the announcement of Pertamina's entry into premier class title sponsorship occurred over the same weekend as the Indonesian Grand Prix, and the company is also the title sponsor of that race. According to VR46 Team Director Alessio Salucci, the upcoming alliance is "crucial" for Rossi's operation to keep its competitive advantage in MotoGP for the upcoming seasons.
MotoGP: VR46 and Yamaha
An important decision will be made in the next months by the VR46 team as they near the end of their contract with Ducati. The Valentino Rossi team has to consider Desmosedici's competitive advantage with respect to the monetary rewards Yamaha may give as a supplier.
The VR46 team seems like the most likely candidate to receive the two M1s from Yamaha, considering the undeniable charisma that Rossi still possesses for the brand. This is especially proven by his recent agreement to be the company's principal ambassador until the end of 2024. Rossi is still a major attraction in MotoGP, even if he retired two years ago.
Although VR46's Ducatis were a year old for the 2023 MotoGP season, they were more competitive than Fabio Quartararo's and Franco Morbidelli's Yamaha teams. With Bezzecchi at the wheel, VR46 was a formidable competitor for the MotoGP title. The squad is planning for another successful season in their current configuration in 2024 before making a much-discussed, maybe major, shift.
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