VR46 continues to field an all-Italian line-up, although incumbent Marco Bezzecchi is joined this year by now-former Gresini rider Fabio Di Giannantonio.
The bright new look on its Ducatis, once again a year older than the factory machinery, comes after attracting a new title sponsor in the form of Indonesian oil company Pertamina.
While the team became a force in the junior classes, this season is the first it starts as a race winner in MotoGP.
Rossi said, “These 10 years have flown by since we started working on this project.
“At the beginning I was convinced that MotoGP was not our real goal, people around me pushed a lot, Uccio [Alessio Salucci, Team Director] among the first ones.
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“A lot of new things await us in 2024: a new title partner, a new rider together with Bez, Fabio, and a technical package of the highest level.
“I am very happy with the partnership with Pertamina Enduro, the Indonesian fans have always had great affection and respect towards me.
“Marco and Fabio are a new couple, but they are two very fast riders and two good guys.
“It’s been a very long winter and I can’t wait to see them on track in Malaysia and then in Qatar for the start of the season.”
Salucci added, “In 2024 we will be to the track with the livery designed by Aldo Drudi who revolutionised the graphic soul of the team with the inclusion on the livery of our fluorescent yellow DNA.
“The best hope for starting this new adventure. From a technical point of view, with Ducati we have the best available package on the grid and Marco and Fabio are very fast. I know we’ll have fun.”
Bezzecchi finished third in the 2023 championship, with three Grand Prix wins and another in the Assen Sprint along the way.
“I would like to do something similar to what we did in 2023: be competitive, consistent, get on the podium and have good races,” he said.
“I also really like the new livery, completely different, something that has never been seen in MotoGP.
“I expect a hard-fought Championship, of the highest level and with many strong riders and bikes. We can do two things: have fun and try to being among the protagonists.”
Team-mate Di Giannantonio has arrived at VR46 after a vacancy was created by Luca Marini’s move to Honda, which occurred because of Marc Marquez taking over the Gresini seat which had been Di Giannantonio’s.
A MotoGP Race winner last year at Lusail, Di Giannantonio said, “I’m really excited, I can’t wait.
“For me, it is the first year at Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team: we met at the Valencia test at the end of the year, when we tried the Ducati package that we will use this season and the feelings were immediately positive. We have a great potential to achieve our ambitions.
“The livery is crazy, you can notice it on and off the track. Wearing this yellow is a great honour for me.
“It will be an interesting start, there have been a lot of changes in terms of the line-up, riders and bikes. We all have to get settled, but it will be a great show.”
PHOTOS: VR46 2024 MotoGP livery
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