Marco Bezzecchi has revealed that VR46 team boss Valentino Rossi is “pushing a lot” to make sure he remains with the Italian motorcycle grand prix racing legends team in 2024.
Bezzecchi has been open in recent days that he would potentially have to leave the VR46 fold for next season if he wanted to secure a current-specification Ducati MotoGP prototype for 2024, even though he’d rather remain within the family-style setup his mentor Rossi has created.
With a decision potentially coming down to whether Ducati could transfer one of its 2024-spec Desmosedici’s to VR46 next season rather than have two at Pramac – the marque insistent in its plans on only fielding a total of four up-to-date bikes next year – Bezzecchi shared that he had already “made my decision”, and that he would reveal his choice “soon.”
With the announcement that incumbent Pramac rider Johann Zarco would be leaving the squad at the end of this term coming shortly after the Austrian contest, the Italian admitted that Rossi is “pushing a lot” to make sure Bezzecchi remains wearing black and yellow in 2024, something he admits is “special.”
“It was great to do it with Vale (Valentino Rossi) here and with the victory of Cele (Celestino Vietti, Austrian Moto2 winner) who is one of my best friends in the paddock,” said Bezzecchi in the post-Austria race press conference.
“Vale is pushing a lot (to keep Bezzecchi within VR46 for 2024) which I really appreciate, because to be pushed by the GOAT (greatest of all time) is something special as not everyone can say this.
“I think I’ve already made my decision, I can’t reveal it yet but soon I will communicate it.”
Bezzecchi has failed to reach the podium in recent races having recorded back-to-back DNF’s in the British Grand Prix a fortnight ago as well Saturday’s sprint race at the Red Bull Ring, though the latter was not of his own doing as he was a part of the first corner pile-up caused by Pramac’s Jorge Martin.
Bezzecchi showed strong pace across the Austrian Grand Prix weekend having qualified seventh, and duly backed this up with a charge through the leading runners to eventually claim third – though only after a tough battle with Gresini’s Alex Marquez.
The two-time premier class race winner continued that he was “very satisfied” to have returned to the box following a tumultuous couple of outings, explaining that he had to work hard to “analyse” where his stronger points were relative to Marquez in order to make his podium pass stick.
“I’m very satisfied to get the podium because after two very difficult races with Silverstone on the Sunday and yesterday I’m glad to bounce back in a good way,” added Bezzecchi.
“It wasn’t easy starting from seventh but we had a decent start and then I was strong under braking, but also at saving my rear tyre so I could prepare every overtake effectively except with Alex (Marquez), who was very difficult to pass.
“I kept myself calm and tried to analyse where I was a bit stronger than him, I saw that in sector three I was staying close so tried to prepare and overtake for the second-to-last corner and I eventually did it, so I’m happy for that.”
Keyword: Bezzecchi: Rossi ‘pushing a lot’ to keep me at VR46 in 2024