Why Pedro Acosta was Absent from VR46’s 2026 MotoGP Launch
VR46 pulled the covers off their 2026 MotoGP bike in Rome on Wednesday, with everything seemingly falling into place for the new season. But it wasn’t always clear that things would end up this way.
Team owner Valentino Rossi, along with riders Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, attended the launch to show off the new machinery. One person who wasn’t there was Pedro Acosta.
Acosta has been connected to Rossi’s team for quite some time. The Spaniard tried to break his contract early after a tough start to 2025, frustrated by the RC16’s lack of performance and several crashes.
There was a real possibility of Acosta joining VR46. He even posed in front of their sponsor board at Assen, which didn’t sit well with Di Giannantonio. The Italian called out Acosta publicly, telling him to be more respectful toward KTM.
No move happened though. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta wanted riders to stick to their contracts, and KTM weren’t interested in discussing a transfer fee at the time.
Salucci later commented that VR46 would do whatever it took to bring Acosta in before 2027 if given the chance. But by the time of the team’s launch this year, his stance had shifted – and so had VR46’s plans.
VR46 plan to hold off on Acosta decision until mid-season, says Uccio Salucci
Uccio Salucci has told GPOne that VR46 will hold off on any decision about their 2027 line-up until the middle of the season, explaining they want to give Di Giannantonio and Morbidelli a proper chance to show what they can do.
“Look, with Pedro, there was an opportunity halfway through last year and he wasn’t happy at KTM, his manager came to talk to us, I listened, why not?
“I knew it was impossible, he had a contract with KTM, but when management comes to talk to you, I listen, and if there was a possibility. I don’t know. It was more of a tentative discussion.
“Then maybe next year. Now I want to promote my guys because they are worth a lot to me. Making them as strong as possible isn’t just looking back.
“Yes, because they are guys who deserve it. In my opinion, they are very strong. Then from the middle of the championship onwards we’ll see what happens.”
Pedro Acosta pushing for early contract decision ahead of 2026 season
On paper, waiting until mid-season to make a decision makes sense, giving teams a chance to see how riders perform. But according to Motorsport Espana, the top seats for 2027 are expected to be settled by the time the series returns to Qatar for round four.
Acosta has also made it clear that he wants his plans in place before the start of 2026. If VR46 waits too long, they may find themselves out of the running before they’ve even started negotiating.
There’s growing talk that Acosta may have already sorted his future. Links to both Ducati and Honda have been strong, suggesting he may have signed on somewhere else already.
Acosta is focused on becoming world champion and believes he needs the fastest bike on the grid to do it. Rossi wants VR46 competing at the front, and Acosta is exactly the kind of rider who could make that happen – if they haven’t already missed their chance.
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