The VR46 Academy has kicked off its 2025 MotoGP pre-season preparations with a training session at the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia. As the end of the winter break nears, organizers have scheduled the first official test of the year from February 5-7 at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
Before heading to Malaysia, the VR46 Academy took advantage of the Indonesian Grand Prix venue, Mandalika, to get some valuable track time ahead of their return to MotoGP action. All the riders from the VR46 MotoGP team are in attendance, alongside Moto2 rider Celestino Vietti.
Double MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia is on track, riding a Ducati Panigale V4-S, while VR46 Racing teammates Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio, who isn’t an official Academy member but rides for Valentino Rossi’s team, are also participating.
Di Giannantonio is getting back to riding after an injury-plagued 2024 MotoGP season that saw him undergo shoulder surgery. He returns for a second season with the VR46 squad and has secured the third factory GP25 bike from Ducati.
Marco Bezzecchi is testing the Aprilia RSV4 for the first time, while Luca Marini is riding a Honda RC213V-S.
The three-day training session has been made possible through VR46’s title partnership with Indonesian oil giant Pertamina.
In addition to the Mandalika training camp, VR46 Racing recently unveiled their 2025 season livery in Indonesia, which largely mirrors their previous designs.
While the VR46 squad preps for the new season, MotoGP riders across the globe have been keeping busy with off-season training. The Aspar Circuit in Spain has seen several high-profile riders, including Marc Marquez and Fabio Quartararo, getting in extra practice ahead of the new season.
Track action officially begins on January 31 with the Sepang shakedown, where test riders, rookies, and concession riders will get their first opportunities on track. The official pre-season test at Sepang will follow, culminating in the final test in Thailand on February 12-13. The first MotoGP race of 2025 will take place in Buriram at the end of the month.
