MotoGP: Ducati prepares minds for an endgame with Valentino Rossi's men

At the end of January, Uccio Salucci, right-hand man of Valentino Rossi and leading figure of the VR46 in MotoGP, looked forward to the future with optimism: “we are in a crucial phase for our future collaboration with Ducati. We have an option for the years 2025 and 2026. These next few days will be decisive.” But time passed, and no agreement materialized between the Tavullia structure and the Borgo Panigale giant, which even seems skeptical about the possibility of renewing the contract.

Ducati, with eight machines competing in MotoGP, maintains its digital supremacy in 2024. Pramac establishes itself as a leading satellite team, while Gresini has secured its place until the end of 2025. The fate of VR46 remains pending, with a contract expiring at the end of 2024. Salucci remains optimistic: discussions with Ducati are intense. We hope to find common ground soon »

Dorna, by putting its hand in its pocket for Yamaha, will distort the market held by Ducati

However, the prospect of an extension of this partnership is dimming. Gigi Dall'Igna, from Ducati, expresses his doubts: “ it will be complex to keep all our teams next year. Other manufacturers are in the running to have satellite teams, supported by financial benefits from Dorna »

Mauro Grassilli, the new face of negotiations at Ducati, admits that the path towards renewal with the VR46 is fraught with pitfalls. “ We talk, but it's not easy. Their proposal must be integrated into our economic reality » Yamaha , for its part, does not hide its intention to strengthen its satellite presence in 2025.

Faced with these maneuvers, Salucci boot in touch… “ I do not know », he said, referring to a potential alliance with Yamaha , while emphasizing the urgency of clarifying the future of the machines and then focusing on the recruitment of pilots.