Valentino Rossi's VR46 team is preparing for its third season in MotoGP with high expectations. Team principal Pablo Nieto talks about the challenges ahead and the arrival of Fabio Di Giannantonio. The team had a fantastic season last year, with Marco Bezzecchi finishing in third place in the drivers' standings. However, Luca Marini will no longer be alongside Bezzecchi this year, as he has joined Repsol Honda. In his place, Di Giannantonio, who had a remarkable end to the 2023 campaign in the championship, will join the team.
Paul Grandson remains realistic about expectations for the next season and emphasizes the importance of the team and its harmonious functioning in its success. He is proud of having been able to recruit people he already knew, which contributes to the good dynamic of the team: “ the hardest thing to manage is always the staff, we are almost 50 people and finally everyone has their own business » said the Spanish manager to Motosan. " It's the second family, almost the first, because we spend more time away from home than with family. One of the key things for me was to bring in people I already knew. I think this is one of the keys to why the team works so well ».
Despite the injury of Marco Bezzecchi last year the team managed to achieve good results, but Grandson recognizes that it will be difficult to repeat them this year… “ He had surgery on Sunday and was on the bike on Friday » he remembers about this complicated moment in the middle of the overseas campaign. “ Normally, weeks always pass between the operation and the return to the track. This weekend was an atypical weekend, because we had so much euphoria, something happened that no one expected ". That is to say a third place in the Sprint and a fifth position in the Indonesian Grand Prix after starting from ninth place.
Pablo Nieto: “ we will provide all possible help to Fabio Di Giannantonio »
But he also mentions: “ we know it will be very difficult to match or improve on last year's performance. We will try to do our best, to improve above all where we failed last year ».
The arrival of By Giannantonio is a promising addition to the team. Grandson highlights his talent and the impressive performances he achieved last year. Although he is not part of the VR46 Academy, Di Giannantonio will benefit from the full support of the VR46 team and entourage. The team is committed to providing all necessary assistance to By Giannantonio so that he can train and prepare as best as possible: “ as a team we will give him all the help we can so he can train » promises Paul Grandson. “ He will have his training days and all this will be managed by us, to be able to give him a helping hand, so that he has everything he needs to be able to progress ».
Team VR46 is therefore ready to take on the challenges of the next MotoGP season. Despite last year's exceptional results, they remain realistic about their expectations. The arrival of By Giannantonio brings a new dynamic to the team, and the men of Valentino Rossi are determined to provide him with all the necessary support so that he can flourish.
