Valentino Rossi, VR46, and MotoGP’s Most Interesting “Second Career”
Valentino Rossi didn’t retire. He just changed jobs.
The rider who made MotoGP feel like a travelling rock show now runs one of the paddock’s most fascinating operations: the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. And in 2026, that team sits in a rare sweet spot—close enough to Ducati to get serious hardware and support, but independent enough for Rossi to play politics, shape riders, and steer the brand like a motorsport studio executive.
If you want the short version: VR46 is no longer a “nice satellite story”. It’s a performance project with Ducati factory backing, a clear 2026 target (wins, not vibes), and a 2027 horizon that could reshape everything—riders, manufacturers, even the team’s long-term direction.
What VR46 actually is now (and why it matters)
VR46 began as Rossi’s talent pipeline—an Italian racing ladder with a proper identity, not just a sponsor sticker. Over time, it became something bigger: a MotoGP team with its own gravity, able to attract riders, partners, and technical relationships on merit rather than nostalgia.
The big step-change arrived with Ducati’s decision to make VR46 its “factory-supported” partner from 2025 under a multi-year agreement. That phrase isn’t fluff. It means VR46 gets deeper technical and sporting support from Borgo Panigale and fields an official-spec Desmosedici within the team structure. In plain English: Rossi’s outfit is now one of Ducati’s key weapons, not a distant cousin borrowing bikes.
And Ducati didn’t stop at “support.” It also signed Fabio Di Giannantonio to a two-year deal (2025–2026) that explicitly places him on an official Desmosedici GP with VR46. That’s the kind of commitment manufacturers reserve for riders they genuinely rate.
Rossi’s role: less pit wall, more “architect”
Rossi is the owner, but he’s also the brand, the recruiter, and the long-game strategist. He sets the culture, hires the people who run the day-to-day, and—crucially—decides what “success” looks like.
At VR46’s 2026 launch in Rome, Rossi was very clear about the team’s mentality: podiums are fine, but wins are the currency. “We want to win” is not the language of a team content with being best-of-the-rest.
That matters because it frames every decision VR46 makes in 2026 and beyond—bike allocation, rider contracts, and whether Ducati remains the best technical partner after 2026.
VR46’s confirmed plan for 2026: continuity, clarity, and a proper target
The 2026 rider line-up is locked
VR46 goes into 2026 with the same pairing: Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli. Morbidelli’s contract renewal for 2026 was officially confirmed by MotoGP.com in September 2025.
The bike situation: one “official” spearhead, one strategic choice
Di Giannantonio is the headline technical play. Ducati’s own announcement confirms he races with VR46 on an official Desmosedici GP in 2025 and 2026.
Morbidelli’s side of the garage is where VR46 shows its independence. Reports in 2025 indicated VR46 turned down the option of running two factory-spec machines for 2026, opting instead for a different allocation approach (widely interpreted as prioritising stability and known data).
That decision tells you something important: VR46 is no longer dazzled by shiny objects. The team’s trying to build repeatable performance, not win the press-release championship in February.
The stated 2026 goal: “better than last year” isn’t enough
Rossi’s own comments around the 2026 launch lean hard on two themes: improve consistency and be competitive everywhere. In today’s MotoGP, that’s code for “stop leaving points on the table” and “convert weekends into trophies.” motogp.com
In practical terms, VR46’s 2026 checklist looks like this:
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Turn Di Giannantonio’s official-spec package into regular front-row threat potential.
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Use Morbidelli’s experience (and smoother race craft) to bank points every weekend.
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Stop being a Ducati “asset” and become a Ducati “problem” (the good kind): the team that embarrasses the factory squad often enough to command even more attention.
The 2027 plan: confirmed realities, plus the bits Rossi is clearly positioning for
Here’s what’s confirmed, and what’s intelligently inferred.
Confirmed: VR46 is thinking beyond 2026
Multiple reputable outlets report a crucial detail: Rossi retained an option to terminate VR46’s Ducati deal at the end of 2026. That’s not a threat; it’s leverage. And it’s exactly the sort of clause you keep when you know 2027 could reshuffle the competitive order.
Confirmed: 2027 is a major inflection point
MotoGP’s 2027 regulation reset is the obvious cliff-edge. Whenever rules change, “best bike” can become “best guess,” and customer-team hierarchies can shift fast. Teams that plan early—technical partners, rider contracts, internal structure—tend to land on their feet.
Likely (but not officially confirmed): rider market manoeuvres are already in motion
Recent reporting describes Rossi applying pressure to Ducati regarding the 2027 rider picture, with VR46 expected to need a refreshed line-up after 2026. That same reporting frames Rossi as wanting a pairing that can realistically fight for wins—because Ducati support without results is just expensive background decoration. autosport
Names will fly around (they always do), but the real story isn’t which rumour wins today. The real story is that Rossi is positioning VR46 to enter 2027 with:
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Maximum bargaining power (thanks to that 2026 exit option)
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A “factory-supported” status that can be traded up, not clung to
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A rider strategy that aligns with the new rules era, not the last one
If you want a strong opinion: 2027 will be Rossi’s most important “race” since he stopped racing bikes full-time. Not because he’ll be on the grid—but because he’ll be choosing the ingredients that decide whether VR46 is a perennial podium team, or a genuine title contender.
Why VR46 is bigger than results: it’s Rossi’s legacy engine
VR46 isn’t just a team; it’s Rossi’s way of keeping MotoGP culturally interesting. He brings sponsors because the brand means something. He attracts riders because the garage feels like a career accelerator. And Ducati backs him because, frankly, Rossi still moves the sport’s emotional needle in a way spreadsheets can’t measure.
But emotion only gets you so far. Which is why 2026 is framed so bluntly: wins.
If VR46 wins in 2026, Rossi goes into 2027 negotiations with momentum and proof. If VR46 doesn’t, he still has leverage—but he’ll need to use it aggressively.
Either way, “The Doctor” hasn’t left the building. He’s just running the whole hospital now.