Rossi: VR46 to ‘have fun’ in 2019 title fights

Valentino Rossi says his Sky Racing VR46 team will be the “protagonists” in the Moto2 and Moto3 world title battles and has urged his riders to relish the fight in 2019.

Following the official team presentation of the Sky Racing VR46 Moto2 and Moto3 squads in Milan on Friday, Rossi sent a video message while training in preparation for next week’s Sepang MotoGP test (February 6-8).

For 2019 Luca Marini, Rossi’s half-brother, and rookie Nicolo Bulega will look to defend the Moto2 world title won by Francesco Bagnaia last year as he steps up to MotoGP with Pramac Ducati.

The Sky Racing VR46 squad will head into its sixth year of world championship competition, and just its third campaign in Moto2, while Dennis Foggia is retained in its Moto3 line-up alongside Celestino Vietti who caught the eye for the team as replacement for the injured Bulega when he claimed a podium in just his second race.

Rossi is confident both his Moto2 and Moto3 teams have the tools and riders to battle for more world titles.

“Come on, we have fun,” Rossi said. “Last year was a fantastic year, but we have to think about the next one, where we will try to fight to win the championship.

“We have to be protagonists, we do not lack anything. The team has remained the same and it was not easy. This is a strong point.

“We will try to make the top [equipment] available to the boys, then they will go on their bikes.”

The Sky Racing VR46 squad revealed a tweaked livery for 2019 at the team presentation, which was originally seen at its launch on Italy’s X Factor last December, with the team sticking with KTM machinery in Moto3 and the Kalex chassis in Moto2 for the introduction of the new Triumph engines.

Rossi will take part in his own MotoGP team launch with Monster Yamaha in Jakarta on Monday (February 4).