At the end of 2022, due to the economic instability that the RNF team was displaying, Yamaha did not renew its contract with Razlan Razali’s squad, a circumstance that left the Iwata-based manufacturer with only two M1s on the 2023 grid. If we take into account the testimony of all the voices coming out of the Yamaha camp, there is not a single day in which neither the riders nor their bosses don’t regret having taken a decision that they will try to rectify with the revival of the satellite team.
The best-placed candidate for the two M1s is, for obvious reasons, Valentino Rossi’s team, as the Italian legend continues to be Yamaha’s biggest attraction, despite having been retired for two years: during the last Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, the nine-time world champion signed his contract as the company’s main ambassador, which runs until the end of 2024.
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The link between Rossi and the Japanese manufacturer survived the departure of the #46 rider to Ducati in 2011 during his racing career, at the height of Jorge Lorenzo’s popularity; his definitive farewell at the end of 2021, and the agreement between the team that bears his name and Ducati in 2022, which expires at the end of next year.
There is still time to finalise the supplier of the bikes that now belong to Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio, but the coming months will be crucial to determine the equipment available to VR46, which will have to define its priorities among the options on the table. There are not two, but three, given the pressure from the group led by Stefan Pierer to reintroduce MV Agusta into MotoGP. Despite the momentum of the Pierer Mobility Group, the two most logical alternatives are to extend the alliance with Ducati or to join forces with Yamaha. Both have pros and cons.
Extending the partnership with Ducati would guarantee two competitive bikes with which to be in a position to fight for podiums, victories and possibly even titles.
The downside of signing with the Borgo Panigale company is economic, because Yamaha’s position allows it to offer more attractive conditions from a monetary point of view. Dorna, the promoter of the series, gives each brand that supplies an independent team with three million euros. This amount does not increase according to the number of customers, so Ducati – which distributes its Desmosedici to Pramac, Gresini and VR46 – earns…
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