January 29, 2023
Back on track, to help his riders prepare for the restart of the World Championship.
Valentino Rossi together with Pecco Bagnaia, Luca Marini, Marco Bezzecchi, Franco Morbidelli, Celestino Vietti and Andrea Migno. A veritable parade of stars in Portimao, where the champion from Tavullia challenged the riders who had graduated from his VR46 Academy in preparation for his MotoGP debut in 2023, with the championship opening with the Sprint Race on 25 March on the same circuit.
Valentino Rossi took to the track aboard his own YZF-R1M, given to him by Yamaha last year. Bagnaia instead piloted the Ducati Panigale V4 S, like Bezzecchi and Marini. The 2022 MotoGP world champion was the fastest, stopping the clock at 1:43.286. Behind Bagnaia came Bezzecchi (1:43.299), Morbidelli (1:43.763), Marini (1:43.813) and Vietti (1.43.958). Outside the top 10, however, Rossi himself.
The images of the special day in Portimao come from the social profiles of Alessandro Gramigni, 125cc world champion in 1992 who published a video in which Valentino Rossi, Bagnaia and the others are seen aboard their respective bikes. “Thank you Vale and VR for the invitation as a real driver as I once was”, reads the post.
©Getty Images
