From the editorial staff of Corsedimoto.com
Franco Morbidelli and Francesco Bagnaia came out of Valentino Rossi's "University" and won Moto2. Whose turn is it now?
The VR46 is becoming a World Champion machine! After Franco Morbidelli and Francesco Bagnaia, the academy founded by Valentino Rossi is preparing to launch other talents who could mark the future of the World Cup. Paolo Ianieri, MotoGP reporter for La Gazzetta dello Sport, visited the premises of the most prestigious “Motorcycle University” on the planet. Here is the article he published in La Gazzetta dello Sport Tuesday, December 4.
“What is VR46?” The garden where we cultivate our dreams. A place where, with work and effort, we have the opportunity to create. And we are lucky because we are a group of friends who share all of this” says Alberto Tebaldi, one of those responsible for VR46. The concept was born in 2008 to produce clothing for Valentino Rossi and today it has transformed into a 3200 square meter company employing more than eighty people and with a turnover of around 20 million euros per year. In addition to Rossi's merchandising, she took care of that of many other drivers (Viñales, Mir, Crutchlow and Rins, among many others), but also Lamborghini and Monster, before expanding by creating the Riders Academy as well as teams in CEV, Moto3 and Moto2 (this year there will also be a team in CIV) in addition, of course, to the Motor Ranch. All this, indeed, is the garden of eternal youth of Rossi who, by surrounding himself with some of the best young riders, has helped to raise the level of Italian motorcycling.
Today, the Academy has eleven pilots, including two, Franco Morbidelli et Francis Bagnaia, achieved the Moto2 World title and will compete in MotoGP in 2019. If the two men and Valentino represent the visible part of the iceberg, the invisible base is solid and promising. Indeed, in Moto2, there will always be Luca marini, freshly operated on a shoulder and who will try to attack the title. Like him, Lorenzo Baldassarri will evolve at the forefront, while Marco Bezzecchi et Nicolò Bulega will have to gain experience. In Moto3, we expect a lot from Dennis Foggia et Celestino Vietti Ramus, teammates within Sky Racing Team VR46. Shortly, Elia Bartolini et Lorenzo Bartalesi, who currently race in CIV Moto3 in the RMU team, will in turn enter the Academy.
With one victory and five podiums, Baldassarri was the best Italian after Bagnaia in the World Cup. “In 2019, I want to win it. We have the right packaging, a competitive bike, a team to match and a ready rider” Lorenzo explained. “I learned more last season than in four years of Moto2, and the first tests went well. The acceleration of the Triumph engine surprised me, it requires more work on the bike but it is a good basis for MotoGP. »
After surprising in 2018 and fighting until the Malaysian Grand Prix for the Moto3 title, Marco Bezzecchi will be particularly observed in Moto2. “The first official tests were difficult, but I expected that, even though I had trained with the Yamaha R6 in Misano. The Triumph engine pushes a lot more, it forces you to lean more and straighten up quickly. I think it's a way of driving that might suit me. » For its part, Open up will he have his revenge in 2019? “I'm not finished, contrary to what many people say. I don't like hearing it, but I use it as motivation." explained Nicolò. “The last two years have been negative, even though I have always given my best. Moto2 is made for me because, in Moto3, I started to get bruises from having to hide in the bubble and it became torture. »
In Moto3, it only took one race, that of Australia, where he finished third, for the public to discover Drive. “My mantra is to keep your feet on the ground and not get distracted, so this race hasn’t changed anything” explains Celestino, 17 years old, in the fourth year of professional training in engine mechanics half an hour from Turin. “I want to finish my studies, even if doing both at the same time is complicated. My teachers help me a lot. » In January he will also move near the VR46 headquarters “because training with this group makes you progress. My 2019 goal? Being at the forefront. »
Read the original article on Corsedimoto.com
Auteur: Editorial staff of Corsedimoto
