FIM President Jorge Viegas says that Valentino Rossi’s VR46 MotoGP operation will switch from being a Ducati customer to that of Yamaha in 2024.
Viegas – who was re-elected as the president of MotoGP’s organising body FIM on Saturday – reckons that Rossi’s team will end what will be a two-year tenure running customer Ducati Desmosedici machines at the end of next season in favour of taking on a pair of Yamaha M1’s.
With Yamaha having been left without a customer squad for 2023 following the defection of RNF Racing to the Aprilia fold at the end of 2022, the Japanese operation enters next term without a satellite team for the first time in decades, with the Spaniard conceding that he “doesn’t particularly like this situation” of having a total of eight Ducati’s and only two Yamaha’s on next year’s grid.
He sensationally assured though that this would not prove to be a problem in 2024, stating that “Valentino’s team will switch from Ducati to Yamaha” following next season.
“I don’t particularly like this situation,” Viegas said while speaking to Italian broadcaster RAI TV.
“But I think that will only be the case in 2023.
“In 2024, Valentino’s team will switch from Ducati to Yamaha.
“This is just an idea so far, nothing is confirmed, but I’m spreading this news; in two years we will see six Ducati’s and four Yamaha’s.”
Rossi switching his organisation from Ducati to running Yamaha would make good marketing sense given the Italian’s extensive history and success with the brand, with 56 of his 89 premier class wins as well as four of his seven MotoGP world titles coming on an M1.
Furthermore he ended his extensive top flight motorcycle racing career with the brand in 2021, Rossi spending a total of 16 of his 22 full-time campaigns with Yamaha.
The VR46 squad has yet to win a race in the premier class, with 2022 rookie Marco Bezzecchi securing the new outfit’s best result to date in June’s Dutch TT at Assen with an impressive run to second behind winner and eventual world champion Francesco Bagnaia.
