Familiar name 'in discussions' to be title sponsor of Valentino Rossi's VR46

Pertamina, title sponsor of the Indonesian MotoGP round and SAG Moto2 team, is ‘in discussions’ to replace Mooney as main sponsor of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team.

MotoGP desk_1

30 Aug 2023

Valentino Rossi, Uccio Salucci, Spanish MotoGP, 29 April

Mooney, which joined the new VR46 premier-class project last season after the expected Aramco backing evaporated, is thought to be scaling back its sponsorship for 2024.

eBay has been rumoured as a possible replacement but Indonesian oil and gas giant Pertamina says it is also in talks with VR46.

"There is a plan, yes, that's right (to be the main sponsor of VR46), but it's still being discussed. It's not official yet," Pertamina Lubricants vice president Fadjar Djoko Santoso told Kompas.com.

VR46, which runs Ducati machinery, has celebrated its first MotoGP race wins this season with Marco Bezzecchi, the young Italian also holding third in the world championship.

Team-mate Luca Marini, Rossi’s younger brother, is sixth overall and took his first MotoGP podium with second place in COTA.

VR46 is tipped to run an unchanged rider line-up next season with Bezzecchi expected to turn down the chance of factory machines with Pramac to remain with VR46 for another season, alongside Marini.