The shadow of a GP24 test for Bagnaia triggered a media frenzy—but what's striking today is VR46's direct involvement in the public defense of their protégé. A gesture that reveals both Ducati's flaws and the internal tensions that were thought to be under control.
Uccio Salucci, a man close to the Rossi/VR46 circle, broke his silence by confirming the famous rumor: yes, bagnaia would have tested the GP24 of Morbidely in Misano. He does so with a verve that leaves no room for chance:
« We tried to go back with our memories " ...but the confessions ofI kill have made it possible to identify a borderline situation... Ducati was shaken by VR46's statements. The 'brotherhood' of the Tavullia academy played and VR46 sided with Bagnaia.
In this testimony, Salucci states: the loan of the GP24 would have been an almost fraternal decision, an internal support to Pecco, even if it sometimes contradicts the factory's official strategies Ducati.
Davide Tardozzi: “ I was surprised by Uccio's words ", has a civil war broken out at Ducati?
In front of the press, Davide Tardozzi expressed measured but frank exasperation at this revelation: " I was surprised by Uccio's words " - he admits via Autosport.
« All official drivers can have a range of parts. This mix should above all restore confidence, not to reproduce another motorcycle in its entirety »
Tardozzi thus responds to two attacks: first that of VR46 implying that Ducati maneuver, and then that of the paddock which never stops scrutinizing the smallest technical secrets of the red brand.
What makes this story more disturbing is the internal political dimension it reveals: VR46 clearly states that the GP24 loaned to Bagnaia came from a voluntary gesture of support. Ducati, historically silent on its internal arrangements, finds itself forced to publicly defend its development choices.
This “technological loan” guides the story: Bagnaia is no longer just a Ducati rider, but also a (protected) member of the “VR46 fraternity”, legitimized by gestures of allegiance.
GPOne also recalls another revelation of Salucci : the GP26 that we would have "offered" to Alex Marquez for 2026 would have been proposed to VR46, who allegedly refused it. This suggests a growing dichotomy between the strategy MotoGP de Ducati and the one at VR46.
What all this reveals: Ducati is no longer alone in defining the technical narrative. VR46 is now establishing itself as a media counter-power. bagnaia is double: Ducati rider and protected figure of VR46The loan of the GP24 symbolizes this dual belonging. Transparency is brokenWhat was supposed to remain secret (the "arrangements," the technical comparisons) is exposed publicly — and Ducati must respond. Internal war loomsEven though everyone is united in victory, technical choices and loyalties are revealed in broad daylight.
