Vale's trusted man and personal friend is currently very busy with the VR46 Academy pilots whom he supervises during the testing period. Francesco Bagnaia and Stefano Manzi start in Moto2 with the Sky VR46 team, alongside Luca Marini at Forward, while Nicolò Bulega and Andrea Migno launch an attack on the Moto3 title. Uccio will of course be present alongside Valentino in the Yamaha stand throughout the season to help him aim for a tenth world title.
According to Uccio, “ It's an important year for the VR46 team and for the Academy, but it's also a crucial season for Vale because he can win in MotoGP! In absolute terms, we could even win four championships because we also have a team in CEV ". In 2017, Apiwat Wongthananon is competing in the Junior World Championship as part of the VR46 Master Camp Team, and he will join the VR46 Riders Academy team there with Dennis Foggia and Celestino Vietti Ramus.
« Winning four titles won't be easy, Salucci admits, but we will still try 100%. It's a great goal, and not many people can say they have such an opportunity. For us, it's a dream. We have the opportunity to win, so why not try?
“There are two different situations for Team Sky: for me, Bulega and Migno are ready and we will start the Moto3 season knowing that they can win. In Moto2 on the other hand it will be more of a learning year because it is our first season in this category.
“It’s a good time for Italy and it’s certain that with Valentino we have helped. But we are also lucky that there are a lot of fast young Italians present at the moment. It's not just the VR46 Academy drivers, but also young people like di Giannantonio and Bastianini who are not part of it.
“Of course most of them have dreamed before while watching on TV Valentino winning, and he is important, an idol, to them. He is 200% committed to the project, works with these young people every day, and they are smart enough to know that they must follow his example. »
Photos: Uccio Collection, Alessio Salucci
Source: MCN
