MotoGP: Mooney VR46 Racing Team unveil 2022 livery

Valentino Rossi’s Mooney VR46 Racing Team has unveiled its livery for the 2022 MotoGP season.

VR46 Racing are the last team to reveal their colours ahead of the season opener in Qatar next weekend, and are entering their maiden premier class campaign after taking the grid slots vacated by Avinita Racing.

Related articles from MCN

• Pecco Bagnaia signs new two-year Ducati contract
• MotoGP Unlimited trailer and release date revealed
• Livio Suppo returns to become Suzuki Team Manager

The design itself mixes the black and fluorescent yellow of VR46, with the ‘ochre yellow’ and dark grey of title sponsor, Mooney. Orange is also present on the bike.Notable sponsors on the bike include Monster Energy, Bardahl, Cupra and Flymeto.

The team signed a three-year deal with Ducati ahead of the 2022 season, with Luca Marini running an all-new Desmocedici GP22. Teammate, and MotoGP rookie, Marco Bezzecchi will run a GP20.

Marini ended pre-season on a high by finishing third overall at the Mandalika test, after topping the second day. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi was the fastest rookie at Sepang and Mandalika.

“It has been a long way since Moto3, but now we are ready to make our debut in MotoGP with a VR46 team and four young riders who I know will give their 100%,” Rossi said. “It is the closing of a circle for me and also for all the people who have worked with so much passion on this project over the years.

“At the same time it is a great debut and the beginning of a new chapter of this beautiful story in MotoGP. We are here thanks to the support of all our partners and I am happy to welcome Mooney: we met this winter at the Ranch, there was an immediate feeling and now we find ourselves here on this stage with these beautiful bikes with our colours.”

VR46 is one of four Ducati teams on the grid this season. Alongside the factory team, Pramac Racing and Gresini Racing will represent the Italian manufacturer.

The new livery will also be seen in Moto2. Celestino Vietti remains for his sophomore year in the intermediate class, and the Italian will be joined by rookie Niccolo Antonelli. Team VR46 will no longer participate in Moto3 due to their commitments in MotoGP.

There will however be a second VR46 branded team in Moto2, under the VR46 Master Camp banner. Yamaha are running the project, with Keminth Kubo and Manuel Gonzalez representing the team. Gonzalez became the youngest World Supersport 300 champion in 2019 and has since won races in the premier Supersport class.

Kubo moves up from the CEV Moto2 class, having worked his way through the Master Camp training programme.

The first race of the 2022 season takes place at Losail on March 6.