Valentino Rossi talks new Moto3 venture

Valentino Rossi has spoken for the first time about a new Moto3 project he will be heavily involved in next season to develop and nurture young Italian talent in the GP world championship.

The nine-times world champion’s VR46 brand will be involved in a new two-rider Moto3 project next season with backing from Italy’s Sky TV.

The team will run the dominant KTM machine and one rider already signed is Romano Fenati, who has struggled to make an impact on an FTR-Honda machine in 2013 after promising rookie campaign last year.

The second rider has not been selected yet but rumours have linked Rossi’s half-brother Luca Marini with the seat.

Marini had a baptism of fire on his GP debut in Misano earlier this month when he crashed out of last place at the first corner.

When asked by MCN for his thoughts on the new Moto3 project, the 34-year-old said he had initially been reluctant to get involved with the running of his own team.
But he said: “We will make the team in Tavullia. We have Sky as a sponsor. They came to us and said they had this project to help young Italian riders and they were very keen to make collaboration with us. At the beginning we said no but in the end it became a good option and a good project that we will start next year using KTM. We will have Romano Fenati and we have to decide the other rider.”