Ducati has revealed it has reached an agreement for VR46 to replace Pramac as its primary satellite squad from the 2025 MotoGP season.
The multi-year deal, with an initial phase of two seasons, was announced on the eve of the British Grand Prix on Friday.
Pramac had been Ducati’s only factory-supported team in the last few seasons, but its defection to Yamaha prompted the Borgo Panigale marque to strengthen its relationship with Valentino Rossi’s squad.
VR46 will get maximum technical and sporting support from Ducati next year, but unlike Pramac, which got two factory bikes as part of its contract, VR46 will only receive a single example of the GP25.
This means Ducati will go from having four of the latest-specification bikes to just three next year. Fabio di Giannatonio, who is poised to land a contract directly with Ducati to continue racing for VR46, will get the third GP25 alongside factory team riders Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.
"From day one the VR46 Racing Team has shown that it knows how to work in perfect harmony with Ducati and in recent years we have achieved great results," saud Gigi Dall'Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse.
"We are happy to be able to further strengthen this relationship by giving the team 'factory' support starting next season. I am sure that together we can achieve great things. I thank Valentino, Uccio and Pablo and all the people who work with great passion and dedication in the team."
🤝🏻 We are happy to announce that the @VR46RacingTeam will become our factory-supported team in @MotoGP from 2025!#ForzaDucati pic.twitter.com/m9RpwXxSCe
— Ducati Corse (@ducaticorse) August 2, 2024
Uccio Salucci, Team Director of VR46 Racing Team, added: "I couldn't be more proud to announce that next year the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will be the factory-supported Ducati team in MotoGP. We will have an official bike and a GP24. If someone had told me this a few years ago I wouldn't have believed it.
“It's a truly significant moment for the whole team: achieving this result with such a young team, with so many Moto3 kids, in just three years is truly extraordinary.
“We have a few years of hard work ahead of us, of great challenges and we can't wait to put ourselves to the test to achieve ever more ambitious results."
Although VR46 is yet to reveal its line-up for 2025, it is widely expected that Franco Morbidelli will move over from Pramac to partner di Giannantonio, reuniting with his mentor and team owner Rossi.
