A MONTH TO THE QATAR GP FOR THE BEGINNING OF A BREAKTHROUGH SEASON FOR THE SKY RACING TEAM VR46 

THE DEBUT IN MOTOGP AND A NEW COUPLE IN MOTO2 TO PUSH THE TALENT OF THE ITALIAN RIDERS EVEN HIGHER 

THE SKY RACING TEAM VR46 CELEBRATES ITS 8TH SEASON WITH THE DEBUT IN THE TOP CLASS: LUCA MARINI ON DUCATI WITH SKY VR46 AVINTIA 

A NEW START FOR THE MOTO2 PROJECT WITH MARCO BEZZECCHI AND CELESTINO VIETTI RAMUS ON KALEX 

#SkyVR46Day

Milan, February 16th, 2021. It is the day of the Sky Racing Team VR46, just a month before the start of the World Championship in Qatar, it presents the Teams and riders of the 2021 season of this project, the eighth consecutive one. A project that, thanks to the trust and constant work of Sky and VR46, over time has seen the birth of promises, the growth of talents and the achievement of important milestone of the contemporary motorcycling.

It will be the turning point season, which begins with a goal already achieved at the start, Luca Marini’s debut in MotoGP with Sky VR46 Avintia thanks to the agreement between Sky Racing Team VR46, Esponsorama Racing and Ducati. Marini will be the second rider of Team Sky-VR46 to make his debut in the top class after Francesco Bagnaia, Moto2 World Champion in 2018, who is now waiting for his friend for new challenges on the track in the top class.

A new start for Moto2, where we will be able to count on the talent of Marco Bezzecchi – one of the title contender in 2020 – and on the qualities of the young rookie Celestino Vietti Ramus, making his debut on Kalex in the new category after having impressed in Moto3.

TOTAL BLACK – The new MotoGP and Moto2 liveries for the 2021 season, revisited in colors by the VR46 graphic and creative department, have the same appearance in both categories: the touch of light grey becomes shiny black, with a game of contrasts introduced by the chromed blue, which redesigns the graphics of the two Teams in a more “racing” way while remaining faithful to the colors that have always accompanied the crew.

MOTOGP – Among the most talented young rider in the entire Italian panorama and in the VR46 Riders Academy since his birth, Luca Marini will make his MotoGP debut with the Sky Racing Team VR46. He earned the promotion to the top class thanks to 6 successes in the intermediate category (all riding the Kalex of the Sky Racing Team VR46) and three seasons as a protagonist in Moto2, crowned by the second place in the Championship in 2020. That of 2021 will be a Team completely built around Luca, where the experience of Ducati, its technicians and of the crew chief Luca Ferraccioli will meet the capacity of the sporting director of Esponsorama Avintia Ruben Xaus and the coach of the VR46 Riders Academy Roberto Locatelli together with some of the historical members of the Team.

LUCA MARINI, MOTOGP rider Sky VR46 Avintia 

“I can’t wait to start this new season with Sky VR46 Avintia. I didn’t have the opportunity to test Ducati at the end of November as in a normal season and the wait was so long. I spent the whole winter thinking about the first day of testing! With the support of the Academy, I am training to be physically and mentally ready. There will be so many things to learn, I will work hard to grow and adapt myself to the new category as fast as possible. At the same time, I want to enjoy this first year in MotoGP: it will be a special moment in my life. I would like to thank Ducati and the Sky Racing Team VR46 for believing in me and repaying them for the trust they have placed in my abilities. I hope that our relationship can evolve in the years to come”.

RUBEN XAUS, Sporting director Esponsorama Avintia  

“I am happy to welcome Luca to MotoGP in the Sky VR46 Avintia. As a sporting director I’m proud to see the birth of this partnership with the support and commitment of Ducati and all our partners. We were dreaming on young riders, as rookies since years with a great desire to show their best: a starting point that we share with Luca and the Sky Racing Team VR46 project, a reference Team for skills and results in Moto2. It will be a challenging year, but full of emotions on track”.

MOTO2 – Fourth in the Championship in 2020 with 184 points, Marco Bezzecchi is among the most awaited for the 2021, with two wins plus 5 podiums. Pure talent in Moto3, in the first season at the Sky Racing Team VR46 he found a new dimension and was the protagonist of an exponential growth, scoring the first podium and the first victory in the intermediate class.

MARCO BEZZECCHI, Moto2 rider Sky Racing Team VR46 

“Like every year, I’m always happy to be back on track after a long off season. I met my crew a few weeks ago in Tavullia, we’re excited and can’t wait to see them again in Qatar. Fingers crossed for the calendar, I’m sure we’ll have fun. We need to keep concentrating and working hard: in this way we can make a step forward compared to last year, become more consistent and be in the group of the strongest riders in every GP”.

At the debut in CEV in 2018 with the Sky VR46 Junior Team, then in the World Championship with the first podium and the first victory (Moto3, Austria 2020) with the Sky Racing Team VR46: Celestino Vietti Ramus is close to another key passage of his career with the usual colors. In 2020 he impressed with his ability to manage the race and speed, which allowed him to take two wins, two more podiums and the possibility of making his debut in the higher category.

CELESTINO VIETTI RAMUS, Moto2 rider Sky Racing Team VR46 

“I am waiting for this moment since the testing session in Jerez, when I have tried the Moto2: I am happy because once again I will face a key milestone in my career together with the guys of the Sky Racing Team VR46. It won’t be easy, there are many tricks to take care compared to the Moto3,  but also a lot of power and speed to manage. In November I really enjoyed it and the feelings were more than positive. Working hard with the Team and continue to take the measures of the new category is the target and then being able to get some good positions, but no rush”.

After the World title in 2020 among the Team, confirmation is the target for Pablo Nieto, Team Manager of the Moto2 team for the fifth consecutive year. Alongside him Luca Brivio in the role of Team Coordinator and Roberto Locatelli, who in addition to following the riders of the VR46 Riders Academy will split himself between his commitment in MotoGP and Moto2. Ambitious goal and key roles confirmed: Sergio Martinez will continue to follow Marco Bezzecchi, while Jairo Carriles, Luca Marini’s crew chief last year, will take care about Celestino Vietti Ramus in his approach to Kalex.

PABLO NIETO, Team Manager Moto2 Sky Racing Team VR46 

“It will be a very special year for the Sky Racing Team VR46: confirmations and great opportunities. We come from a very special 2020 and at the same time full of results and goals achieved. Repeat ourself will not be easy, but Marco and Celestino are a sparkling couple from many points of view. They are fast, competitive and they want to impress everyone. For Celestino the target is to approach and work hard to adapt himself to the new category as soon as he can, while I’m sure Marco will give his best since Qatar GP”.

PARTNERS  – In both categories, the Sky VR46 Avintia and the Sky Racing Team VR46 will be able to count on the commitment and trust of partners who have embraced the team’s philosophy. In MotoGP, the main partners of the project will be Avintia, WithU, Bardahl, Fassi, Nascor and Muc Off, while in Moto2, WithU, Monster, Bardhal, Fassi and Muc Off are confirmed. The collaboration for both teams is also confirmed by Dainese and AGV, alongside the Sky Racing Team VR46 since its birth. UYN will dress both MotoGP and Moto2 teams.