Valentino Rossi, VR46 to “unveil a surprise” during Jakarta visit

Valentino Rossi is to join his VR46 MotoGP riders Franco Morbidelli and Fabio di Giannantonio in a special visit to Jakarta on Tuesday, September 30th.

Full details of the trip, linked with the promotion of the Indonesian MotoGP on October 3-5 and team title sponsor Pertamina, will be revealed ‘in the coming days’.

“The MotoGP team returns to Jakarta to unveil a surprise dedicated to all of Indonesia,” read a VR46 statement.

The event will mark Valentino Rossi’s first visit to the country in VR46 colours.

“Further information and details about the planned activities will be shared in the coming days through the official channels of the VR46 Racing Team and Pertamina Lubricants,” the statement added.

Rossi, who took victory in the 1997 Indonesian 125cc Grand Prix during his first world championship-winning season, later made several popular PR visits to the country as a Yamaha rider.

However, The Doctor retired from grand prix racing just before MotoGP returned to Indonesia, at the new Mandalika circuit, in 2022.

Pertamina, a state-owned energy company, has been VR46’s title sponsor since 2024. Indonesia was also the venue for January's team launch.

Morbidelli (GP24) and di Giannantonio (GP25) are currently sixth and seventh in the MotoGP riders' standings, with six rounds to go.

Former VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi finished fourth in last year’s Indonesian Sprint race with Morbidelli, then riding for Pramac, fourth in the Grand Prix. 

The Mandalika races were won by Francesco Bagnaia (Sprint) and eventual champion Jorge Martin (GP).