P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Pecco Bagnaia told he’d never race again – then Valentino Rossi swooped in…
Pecco Bagnaia’s father disclosed that his son struggled early in his grand prix career and felt “depressed” until Valentino Rossi intervened. Bagnaia began his grand prix journey in 2013 with Team Italia but failed to score any points. In 2014, he joined Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy and transitioned to Moto3 on a KTM before progressing to Mahindra in 2015.
Despite moving to the Aspar squad, Bagnaia maintained ties with the VR46 Academy and clinched the Moto2 world championship in 2018. His move to MotoGP in the subsequent year saw him secure back-to-back premier class titles in 2022 and 2023 with Ducati, a milestone for a VR46 rider. Team Italia’s lack of support initially troubled Bagnaia, but Rossi’s intervention reshaped his career path and reignited his passion for motorcycle racing.
Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy, established in 2014 to foster young Italian talent, has played a pivotal role in nurturing riders like Bagnaia. Alongside Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli, Luca Marini, and Marco Bezzecchi have all progressed from the Academy to MotoGP, with Morbidelli becoming the Academy’s first premier class race victor in 2020. In 2022, Rossi’s VR46 team made the leap to MotoGP as a Ducati satellite, further cementing their contribution to the sport.
