Bezzecchi to stay with VR46 MotoGP team for 2024
The VR46 MotoGP team has announced Marco Bezzecchi will remain with the outfit for 2024, paving the way for Franco Morbidelli to join Pramac.
Bezzecchi made his MotoGP debut in 2022 with the Valentino Rossi-owned squad and scored a maiden podium in that year’s Dutch GP.
Remaining with the team for this season, Bezzecchi has been a consistent frontrunner, scoring two grand prix victories as he sits third in the standings on a year-old bike.
Bezzecchi has been one of the key figures in the 2024 rider market silly season, with the Italian linked to Pramac for some time.
Ducati made it clear that his only chance to ride a factory-spec bike next season would be to join Pramac, taking the place of Johann Zarco, who has signed a two-year deal with LCR Honda.
But Bezzecchi’s preferred option was to remain with VR46, even if that meant not having a 2024-spec bike at his disposal, while Rossi himself has been pushing for him to stay put.
After finishing third at the Austrian GP, Bezzecchi revealed that he had already made his decision on his future and would reveal all in due course.
Ahead of this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix, the VR46 team teased and then confirmed on its social media channels that Bezzecchi will remain for 2024.
The team tweeted a short clip featuring Bezzecchi signing something, with the caption reading: “Someone wants to tell you something… soon.”
Bezzecchi remaining at VR46 paves the way for Morbidelli to join Pramac.
Leaving Yamaha at the end of the season to be replaced by Alex Rins, Morbidelli had initially been linked to the VR46 Ducati in place of Bezzecchi.
But Morbidelli now finds himself facing the opportunity to ride a factory-spec Ducati identical to that ridden by world champion Francesco Bagnaia in 2024.
Luca Marini is likely to stay put at VR46 also in 2024.
In other team news, veteran boss and double 250cc world champion Sito Pons is set to join the RNF Racing management structure next year.
An announcement will be made during the Catalan GP weekend, and follows on from the news that Pons would be closing down his Moto2 project.
Marco Bezzecchi, VR46 Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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