Uccio Salucci: 'VR46 is the top Ducati team right now'

VR46 team director Alessio 'Uccio' Salucci reckons his independent squad is the top Ducati team in MotoGP right now, amid the factory outfit's current struggles.

While fellow satellite Gresini may dispute that claim after Alex Marquez won the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend, VR46 is the highest Ducati crew in the teams' championship, in third place. Its lead rider Fabio di Giannantonio is also the top Ducati in the riders' standings following his third-place finish at Jerez.

Meanwhile, the factory team itself had an unhappy race at Jerez. It has now gone nine straight grands prix without a rider on the podium, a run stretching back to the day its man Francesco Bagnaia won the Japanese Grand Prix last year. 

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com Italy on Friday at the Spanish GP, when VR46 still lay behind the factory squad on the teams' points table, Salucci was asked how satisfying it was for his crew to have started the season so strongly.

"It’s a great satisfaction," said team owner Valentino Rossi's right-hand man. "We really got off on the right foot. 

"Last season was a bit too inconsistent, but in the final five or six races I felt we were heading in the right direction, especially with Diggia. I always say that to have a strong season, you need to finish the previous one well. It’s very hard to end a season badly and then perform well the next.

"I’m happy because we’re the top Ducati team right now - that’s something I like. I’m also glad we can provide solid support to the factory Ducati team, because they’re watching us closely; they see how fast we are. And that’s why we’re here."

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Salucci again underlined the role Di Giannantonio's riding has played in the good times VR46 is enjoying in the early part of 2026. Moving into a second year working with engineer Massimo Branchini has also been key.

"A lot of credit also goes to Diggia – he’s riding incredibly well. He’s understood how to ride this bike, and it’s his second year with the team. Last year we changed crew chief, with Branchini coming in, and now they’re in their second year together. They’re working better and better, and that really pleases me."

While Di Giannantonio has delivered strong results for VR46 this year, his team-mate Franco Morbidelli's 2025 struggles have carried over into this season. Morbidelli lies 13th in the championship, 10 spots and 46 points behind his in-form colleague.

Additional reporting by Matteo Nugnes