Valentino Rossi riding a Yamaha again is an awkward reminder of VR46 crossroads
When will Valentino Rossi decide the f🥂ate of his VR46 M꧅otoGP team?
168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Valentino Rossi rolled𝓀 ba𒉰ck the years by jumping back on a Yamaha this week.
The 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:MotoGP legend, now 44, took part on Monday at the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:WorldSBK test at Portimao.
He was part of the Ducati MotoGP travelling party but the sight of his Yamaha, resplendent with hiཧs No46 once again, was a reminder of a big decision which must soon be made.
Rossi’s VR46 MotoG𒊎P team are into the final year of their contract as a Ducati sate♑llite team.
Yamaha (and KTM) have held talks to bring VR46 in𝔉to their stables from next year.
Rossi, although his team ride Ducatis, is currently a brand ambas𒉰sador for Yamaha, the manufacturer who he enjoyed his most i🌞conic days with.
Having a foot in e🅘ach c𒆙amp is making the future of the VR46 even more intriguing.
Although they curre🙈ntly profit from riding year-old Ducatis, the lure ♉of Yamaha is obvious.
Rossi returning to Yamaha as🍎 a team ownerꦗ with a squad bearing his initials would be the romantic move.
Seeing him put in the laps on an R1 - the bike which Yamaha gave him when he retir🥀ed in 202♛1 - this week was a visual reminder of the bond between the legendary rider and the team.
But Rossi’s right-hand man Uccio Salucci has made it clear that he would prefer to stick w𒁃ith Ducati.
The VR46 general manager, and the man who has been by Rossi’s side throughout his career, wants to activate a clause in their current Ducati contract to st♛ay for two 🌼more years.
“We have, already, the option with 💫Ducati for 2025 and 2026,” Saluccꦗi said.
“Now, this moment, is very important. These 🌌10 or 15 days, to try to understand what will happen in ‘25 and ‘2🍒6.
“My direction is to continue with Ducati.
“My d✱ream is to sign🍃 the contract before Qatar because I want to stay quiet, I want to prepare this year very good.
“For that, we need to sign now with Ducat💟i, because it is better.
“But, anyway, we’ll see what will happen…”
Yamaha still have no confirmed plan for 2025 to increase the two bikes that they cur🔥rently run, and acquiring the VR46 would𒊎 make perfect sense for them.
Will Rossi be able to resist the temptation of a stunning return to the Japan-baဣsed bran🍸d?
James was a spo☂rts journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
