First changes within Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy. Soon a new “section” within the group.
Valentino Rossi had announced some small changes within the VR46 Riders Academy in the aftermath of Pecco Bagnaia’s victory of the world title. The rider from Turin conquered his second world title after the one obtained in 2018 in Moto2. In 2017 Franco Morbidelli also achieved the World Cup in the “middle class” contributing to the growth and prestige of the “made in Tavullia” school.
There are already three titles in the VR46 Academy collection that push to raise the bar of the group and to change the philosophy for a moment within the “Valentino Rossi’s School”. To hold the reins of the group, also engaged in the premier class with his team Mooney VR46is the sports director Alessio Salucci, overjoyed for the golden moment: “For us as an Academy, a world title is a really important thing“.
The VR46 Academy stops “enrollments”
Alessio Salucci, better known as “Uccio”, was the Doctor’s right-hand man in the premier class paddock for years, following him in every corner of the world for most of his career. Valentino Rossi’s collaborator deserves credit for having hired Pecco Bagnaia after his debut in MotoGP in 2013running it through its own ranks the following year and then rerouting it to Mahindra for a more peaceful environment.
Those were the years in which the VR46 Academy took its first steps at certain levels, since then three world titles have arrived and in the meantime these riders have grown in age and level of preparation. Until they become a select group of professionals where they push each other. On the other hand, it already boasts four riders in MotoGP: I’m sorry Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli, Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi, waiting for a gap to open up for Celestino Vietti, who is currently the most promising in the minor categories. Andrea Migno is still without a contract who could leave the World Championship.
This push upwards pushes Valentino Rossi’s Academy to rather drastic decisions. In fact, for the moment no other growing young drivers will be taken, on the contrary. Since 2023 Alberto Surra, Niccolò Antonelli and Stefano Manzi will no longer be members of the VR46 Riders Academy,”but they will remain friends of the Academy”, underlined ‘Uccio’ Salucci. “We are working on a program for the Friends of the Academy. They will probably continue to train with us. We will no longer take care of them 100%, but 60%“.
