– With Fabio Di Giannantonio at the forefront, Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team, led by his long-time friend Alessio “Uccio” Salucci as team principal and Pablo Nieto as team manager, is one of the positive surprises of the still young 2026 MotoGP season. In both the riders’ and teams’ standings, VR46 is currently the team leading the Ducati contingent in the field.
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In an interview for the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, a sister platform of Motorsport-Total.com within the Motorsport Network, VR46 team principal “Uccio” Salucci talks about the strong start to the season, the 2027 transfer market at both rider and manufacturer level, the season goals for 2026 set by team owner Rossi, and his own greatest hope among the young up-and-coming riders in the VR46 Academy.
Question: “Uccio, the VR46 team has started the 2026 season very well. You have often finished ahead of the Ducati factory team. How satisfying is that for you and the entire team?”
Alessio Salucci: “It’s very satisfying. We’ve started the season really well. Unfortunately, last season was a bit too inconsistent, but in the last five, six races [of the 2025 season] I could see that we were on the right track, especially with ‘Diggia’.”
Strong start to the 2026 season not only thanks to Di Giannantonio
“I always say, to have a good season, you have to finish the previous one strongly. It’s very difficult to finish a season badly and do well in the next one. I’m happy because we are the leading Ducati, I like that. I’m also happy to offer good support to the Ducati factory team. They’re watching us anyway. They see how fast we are, and that’s why we’re here.”
“And then it’s also thanks to ‘Diggia’, because he’s riding really well. He’s got the hang of this bike, it’s his second year with the team. Last year we changed his crew chief. [Massimo] Branchini joined the team, now they’re working together for the second year. They’re understanding each other better and better, which makes me very happy.”
Question: “Let’s stick to current events. How much of the results are due to the team’s progress and how much to Di Giannantonio? Because it seems that since he joined your team, he has made clear and significant progress.”
Salucci: “I would say 50:50. Last year was our first year as a factory-supported team. That’s not just a label, it’s a completely different project. It’s a great thing, but at the same time there’s a lot to handle. You have a lot more material, but also a lot more meetings. It’s like stepping foot on another planet. It’s wonderful, but you have to gain experience.”
“Last year we had Massimo Branchini as a new addition to the team. The project was new, Fabio [Di Giannantonio] had never worked with him before. Fabio had missed the winter tests due to a collarbone injury. In the modern MotoGP world, that’s a real problem. You pay dearly for it. I had hoped we would only have to pay for it for the first three races. Instead, we paid the price for about half the season.”
“These things meant we had to pick ourselves up. Since then, Fabio has grown together with the team. So I would say 50:50. Since his arrival with us, Fabio has undergone a massive transformation.”
“We didn’t notice his transformation so much in the races, but at home in his preparation, physiotherapy, and physical training for motorsport. We’ve done great work and he’s a smart guy. He’s someone who listens, a true professional. All of this has allowed us to have a good start to the season this year.”
Contract extension with Di Giannantonio has “priority”
Question: “Given this growth, ‘Diggia’ has become a sought-after rider on the transfer market. I believe he is a priority for you, but we know that several teams have shown interest in him. What’s the situation?”
Salucci: “First of all, I’m very happy about all this, because I remember that two years ago, when we signed him, there was no interest in him. We believed in him, and now he’s a highly sought-after rider. That makes me happy. On the other hand, it makes things more complicated.”
“‘Diggia’ is a priority for us. We are trying to put together an offer for him that does justice to today’s Di Giannantonio, both technically and financially. Then we hope it works out and he decides to stay with us for the next few years.”
Question: “Let’s stay on the topic of the transfer market. If ‘Diggia’ wanted to move to another team, would you have a Plan B? Is a return of Luca Marini to the team a realistic option?”
Salucci: “Everything is up for debate here. We have a Plan B, C, and D. As I said before, ‘Diggia’ is our priority, and I would hate to have to resort to Plan B. But we also know that in life you have to have a Plan B and C. With Marini, we don’t know if he will be confirmed at Honda. With Morbidelli, you never know either. We are working hard with him.”
“I like [Celestino] Vietti, he’s very dear to my heart. Why not [Nicolo] Bulega too? There are many options that we are keeping open. It’s an exciting but delicate time. We are working hard, because the decisions we make now will determine the coming years. We hope to make the right choice, but above all, we hope that ‘Diggia’ wants to stay with us. If it turns out differently, I would be truly sorry. We will see.”
Contract with Fermin Aldeguer has become apparent
Question: “On the other side of the garage next year will be Fermin Aldeguer. You’ve always seen great talent in him, ever since he raced in the junior series, haven’t you?”
Salucci: “Simply put, I immediately saw three things in him: braking later, being aggressive into corners, and getting on the throttle earlier. No, kidding aside, I could see early on that he was very mature, absolutely ready, and confident. He knew where he wanted to go and what he needed.”
“Unfortunately, he is still injured at the moment. I spoke to him recently and his leg is still weak. So he has to take it easy. Because in today’s MotoGP world, you have to be in absolute top form. There’s no room for improvisation. You have to be one hundred percent fit to perform well.”
“For me, Fermin is a top rider. He has already won and is young. He has so many qualities. He’s not with us yet, but I hope we can finalize the contract in the next two weeks. That’s really important to me.”
“We had tried before, but at that time he was riding for a Moto2 team and we didn’t want to get into conflict with anyone. So we decided to wait, hoping to sign him a few years later. Let’s hope it happens that way.”
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Why VR46 prefers Ducati over Aprilia as a partner
Question: “You made no secret of the fact that you were in contact with Aprilia in recent months, possibly to become one of their satellite teams. Ultimately, you decided to stay with Ducati. What convinced you that not changing manufacturers was the right path?”
Salucci: “It’s true, we spoke with Aprilia a few times. I spoke with [Massimo] Rivola last year in Malaysia, and then on other occasions, always with him. I have a good relationship with him. We’ve known each other for 20 years, ever since Valentino [Rossi] did the Formula 1 test in 2006.”
“Massimo led the test with Valentino back then and was my contact person for the overall, the helmet, and all those things. I met him then and have an excellent relationship with him. He is a man with great expertise.”
“But I also have a good relationship with [Gigi] Dall’Igna. We fought hard to reach the position we have now, which is that of a factory-supported team. With Aprilia, we would have been the second satellite team, because Trackhouse would rightly have been first, which is a great team. And then there’s [Davide] Brivio, with whom I have a fantastic relationship. So the overall situation would have been more difficult.”
“With Ducati, we have an exceptional partner. They treat us like kings. We have tons of material in the garage and we get tons of equipment sent to us. Sure, the contract isn’t signed yet, and in sports, things can change in an instant, anything is possible. But we are confident that it will be concluded in the best possible way.”
“We’ve already agreed on it with a handshake. We just need to clarify a few more details: One engineer more or one less? Who pays for the business class flight for this person? Who doesn’t cover the costs for the other? In short: We’ve already reached this point and things are developing well.”
Question: “At the beginning of the season, Valentino Rossi set the goals for this season. Have these changed after such a positive start to the season? Has the bar been raised since then?”
Salucci: “Appetite comes with eating. Valentino asked us to win at least one race, and we have to start with that goal. We are performing well, we are fast, and we are having fun. I love coming to the races, waking up in the morning and getting to work. The atmosphere is great, but we have to keep our feet on the ground. We haven’t achieved anything yet, but appetite comes with eating.”
VR46 Academy: “Uccio” raves about Lorenzo Pritelli
Question: “Let’s also talk about the VR46 Academy. When you founded it, did you ever expect that you could permanently bring four riders into the MotoGP class? And, if I may add, you also have a new generation of young riders. You were the first to firmly believe in ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia, and he subsequently won so much. Do you see anyone from your group who could follow his path?”
Salucci: “Yes, I see Pritelli. Guys, remember this name: Lorenzo Pritelli. He’s on the rise. But he still has a long way to go, he’s only 15 and still a kid, just like ‘Pecco’ was back then. Anything is possible. It depends on how much he really wants to be a racer. That means making sacrifices, staying home, and not going out with friends. After all, he’s 15.”
“If he really wants to be a racer, it won’t be long before we see him in the World Championship. He’s the one I like best among the new young riders. I have a good feeling about him.”
Question: “As mentioned, you have young riders in the Academy again. Could this lead to VR46 fielding a Moto3 or Moto2 team again in the future, as was the case in the past?”
Salucci: “Honestly, we’ve already thought about it. Managing the MotoGP team is really tough and complicated. We already did that in 2022, when we competed in both the Moto2 and MotoGP classes. That’s not easy, you need a lot of organization.”
“For now, we have decided to select partner teams that we can rely on and send our Academy riders to them. There’s ‘Gabba’ (Matteo Gabarrini; editor’s note), who is with Tonucci, a great Moto3 team that also competes in the CEV.”
“It’s one of the teams the Academy relies on. If the guys then make progress, we’ll find a Moto2 team. So to answer the question: No, we will not operate our own Moto3 and Moto2 team.”
Will VR46 win again soon?
Question: “What are your expectations for the rest of the MotoGP season for the VR46 team?”
Salucci: “I want us to fight for victories with both riders, ‘Diggia’ and ‘Morbido’, ride strongly, have fun, and always be in the top 5. For the riders, for the people in the team, I would always wish for them to fight for the top 5. As we know, only one can win. But the most important thing is to always be a contender. We deserve that.”
“As we know, there are four to five top riders who are really shining right now: Martin, Bezzecchi, Acosta. They are tough. We’ve also been right up there with ‘Diggia’. We have to stay up there with them and take every opportunity that comes our way.”
Question: “You mentioned Pedro Acosta. How much do you regret not signing him and bringing him to VR46? Because last year you were really close to signing him, weren’t you?”
Salucci: “I really regret that. He and Fermin [Aldeguer] are the most talented young riders. The future of MotoGP belongs to them. We would have loved to have Pedro with us, but he had contracts. There was quite a commotion around him. Therefore, it wasn’t easy to get him. That’s just how it turned out.”
