MotoGP 2026: VR46 Unveils New “Black and Light” Livery

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team has officially unveiled its 2026 MotoGP livery in Rome, Italy, revealing a more aggressive “Black and Light” colour scheme as the team prepares to enter its fifth season in the premier class under the ownership of Valentino Rossi.

The team’s signature fluorescent yellow, long associated with Rossi’s racing identity, remains a central element of the design. However, the white base used in the previous two seasons has been removed, replaced by a darker and more race-focused black backdrop. The visual shift underlines VR46’s intent to project a sharper competitive image ahead of a critical 2026 campaign.

“This is the third season that we use a lot of yellow, our colour,” Rossi explained.
“In the last two years we mixed yellow with white, but for this year we wanted something different, a bit more aggressive. The mechanics will be the happiest guys, because with the white they spent a lot of time cleaning. White is more elegant, but black is more racing, so we hope they will be faster than last year.”

The upcoming season marks VR46’s second year operating as a factory-backed satellite team for Ducati, a status inherited following Pramac Yamaha’s switch of manufacturer. Under this structure, Fabio di Giannantonio will once again race a full factory-spec Ducati Desmosedici, while Franco Morbidelli continues with a year-old satellite specification.

Despite having access to competitive machinery, the VR46 pairing was notably the only Ducati line-up to fail to secure a MotoGP race victory last season. As a result, the team’s most recent wins in the premier class remain the three victories achieved by Marco Bezzecchi during the 2023 season, a benchmark that continues to frame expectations for the project.

Individually, di Giannantonio enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign, finishing sixth in the riders’ championship—his best career result and fourth best among Ducati riders. He claimed four grand prix podiums and five Sprint rostrums, narrowly outperforming Morbidelli. The former Petronas Yamaha title runner-up collected four podium finishes in his debut VR46 season, although his progress was disrupted by injuries sustained at Sachsenring and Valencia.

VR46 has also confirmed that it declined the option of running a second factory-spec Desmosedici, a package that was subsequently allocated to Alex Marquez with Gresini Racing. The decision reflects a strategic preference for consolidation rather than expansion within the Ducati ecosystem.

With both di Giannantonio and Morbidelli currently out of contract at the end of the 2026 season, the coming year carries significant implications for the team’s long-term rider line-up. Following VR46’s livery launch, attention now shifts to Aprilia Racing, which is set to unveil its 2026 MotoGP colours alongside Jorge Martin as the pre-season presentation schedule continues.