Saudi press conference with 'special emphasis' on VR46 MotoGP project
An upcoming press conference in the private residence of Saudi Arabia's Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Saud bin AbdulAziz Al Saud is set to reveal more details of the country's new partnership with VR46.
Tanal Entertainment Sport & Media, a holding company owned by the prince, has already announced a five-year deal for the state-owned Aramco oil company to become title sponsor of the VR46 team from 2022-2026.
VR46 has also agreed a three-year deal with Ducati to supply machines for its new premier-class adventure, however the team's riders are yet to be officially announced.
Luca Marini, currently run by VR46 within the Avintia Ducati structure, is sure to stay on. But the big question is whether, as the prince would like, Valentino Rossi will chose to continue his record-breaking career by racing alongside his brother, rather than retire.
"It would be fantastic for me if Valentino Rossi could compete in the next few years as a rider in our Aramco Racing Team VR46 together with his brother Luca Marini," the prince said upon announcing the VR46 deal in June.
Although the upcoming press conference (the exact date is not clear) will cover a wide range of future Saudi motorsport projects, 'Special emphasis will be given to the strategic joint project between Tanal Entertainment Sport & Media and VR46 in the MotoGP World Championship'.
That includes, 'details regarding technical, logistic and communication and marketing aspects of the joint venture agreement set up with VR46 for the forthcoming 5 years, from 2022 and 2026, in the MotoGP World Championship MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes, including the Italian CIV.'
No mention is made of any rider announcements but the timing of the Saudi press conference – in the window of when Rossi indicated he will decide his 2022 plans – means there is speculation that more about 42-year-old's racing future could be revealed...
Meanwhile, in interviews with SkySport.it, VR46's Alessio 'Uccio' Salucci and Marini have both expressed hope that the nine-time world champion will indeed decide to race on despite a difficult 2021 campaign to date.
Salucci, who suggested a decision on Rossi's future would come within 1-2 weeks, said: "We've talked a lot, from now on he will decide. Whatever his choice will be, it will be the right one.
"We hope that the second [VR46] rider will be Vale... Otherwise Bezzecchi will most likely be there."
Marini said, "If he [Rossi] continues I will be very happy, being in the same team as his would be a dream."
Should Marini and Rossi form the inaugural 2022 Aramco Racing Team VR46 line-up, the team's Moto2 star Marco Bezzecchi is tipped to take over Rossi's current place at Petronas Yamaha.
The Malaysian squad looks increasingly likely to bet on young Moto2 riders to potentially replace not only Rossi but also Franco Morbidelli, who is set to be released from his 2022 SRT contract in order to take over the seat surprisingly vacated by Vinales at the official Yamaha team.
