After eight years of successful collaboration, Yamaha and Valentino Rossi have announced the end of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp project. This program, launched in 2016, aimed to train and promote young motorcycling talents. It has allowed many riders to make a name for themselves in the Moto2 world championship, such as Manuel Gonzalez, Keminth Kubo, Ayumu Sasaki and Jeremy Alcoba.
The end of the 2024 season will mark an important turning point in the paddock with the closure of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp team. This project, which began in 2016 under the leadership of
Valentino Rossi et Yamahawas a major springboard for many young talents in Moto2. The team has evolved from its humble beginnings with training camps in Tavullia, Italy, to its participation in the Moto2 World Championship, where it has been a key player in recent years.
The team VR46 Master Camp not only trained pilots, but also enabled promising talents such as
Manuel Gonzalez, Keminth Kubo, Ayumu Sasaki et
Jeremy Alcoba to shine on the international stage. These drivers showed a good level in 2024, particularly with the good performances of Sasaki
et Bedroomwho carried the team. However, after the Valencia Grand Prix, the collaboration between
Yamaha et VR46 will end, marking the end of an enriching collaboration for both parties.
The ladder to MotoGP wanted by Yamaha was never effective with Valentino Rossi
Tetsu Onogeneral manager of Yamaha Motor Co., expressed his pride in the official statement: “ the aim of this collaboration was to take care of young drivers, and together we celebrated unforgettable moments on the track.
We are deeply grateful for this journey shared with VR46 ».
Alessio 'Uccio' Salucciright arm of
Rossialso highlighted the evolution of the project: “ When we started in 2016 with the camps in Tavullia, no one could imagine that we would have our own team in Moto2. We are very grateful to Yamahathe sponsors, the drivers, the staff and the fans who supported us throughout this incredible adventure. »
The team has been a talent incubator, allowing drivers like Manuel Gonzalez to shine with a second place at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2023. Ayumu Sasaki et Jeremy Alcoba have also scored good performances in 2024, but will not be able to participate in the final weekend due to injuries sustained during the Malaysian Grand Prix. Stefano Manzi et
Andrea Migno replace them. We will see if, with the help of Pramac RacingYamaha manages to create this ladder towards MotoGP which has never been effective with
Valentino Rossi.
