The MotoGP winter break is almost over, and the VR46 Academy is wasting no time getting back to work. In preparation for the 2025 season, the Academy riders have gathered at Indonesia’s Mandalika Circuit for an action-packed training session ahead of the year’s first official test at Sepang International Circuit on February 5-7.

Training at Mandalika

Before the engines roar in Malaysia, the VR46 squad has taken over the Indonesian Mandalika track to get some valuable track time.

The full VR46 team is present, including Moto2 star Celestino Vietti, who’s enjoying the experience alongside the MotoGP riders. Leading the pack is none other than Francesco Bagnaia. He is hitting the track on a Ducati Panigale V4-S and is joined by VR46 teammates Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio.

Interestingly, Di Giannantonio, though he is not a VR46 Academy member, is riding for Valentino Rossi’s team for the second consecutive season. After undergoing shoulder surgery that cut his 2024 season short, this marks his long-awaited return, and he is back in style, riding Ducati’s coveted factory GP25 bike.

Riders Testing New Machines

The training session has also allowed the riders to explore different bikes. Marco Bezzecchi got his first feel of the Aprilia RSV4, while Luca Marini, Rossi’s younger brother, took to the track on the Honda RC213V-S.

This three-day training camp wouldn’t have been possible without the VR46 team’s partnership with Indonesian oil giant Pertamina, which also played a role in launching the team’s 2025 campaign. While the livery for the new season remains mostly the same, the team is hoping their performance will speak for itself on the track.