VR46 Riders Academy
For the next three years, Yamaha will be the official partner and motorcycle supplier for Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy, which is based out of Italy.
Yamaha will supply 26 YZF—R3 and YZ250F motorcycles for VR46 Riders Academy, where riders will hone skills at the VR46 MotoRanch and the Misano circuit. Yamaha uses the academy as a discovering ground for talented riders, and is currently creating a “step-up model” to provide racing-growth opportunities for younger riders that want to eventually make it to MotoGP.
The initial step in this model is to select a limited number of those competing Asia Road Racing Championship’s Asia Production 250 class, and train them at the VR46 Riders Academy.
Also, two one-week workshops are planned in 2016. The talented youngsters will have the chance to train alongside the full time VR46 Riders Academy riders in the gym, at the MotoRanch and at the Misano circuit, riding dedicated YZF-R3 and YZ250F machines.
All riders will have the full access to the facilities of the Academy and Valentino Rossi will participate and instruct the selected candidates along with the full-time Academy staff, Yamaha says.
“We have been supporting talented riders and I am confident that together we will achieve exciting results. We are planning many activities involving the Academy and its riders. Yamaha is making many of these initiatives possible and I want to thank them for this chance. I am also looking forward to meeting the riders that will attend the training session throughout 2016. I am sure they‘ll enjoy the time at the Academy and that we’ll have a lot of fun together. Maybe we‘ll find new racing talents!”
Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Racing, says: “I am extremely happy that we are able to begin this formal partnership with the VR46 Riders Academy. The Academy started as a natural development of Valentino‘s incredible passion for motorcycling and racing when he committed himself to supporting the next generation of riders to develop their talent and skills to become future World Championship racers.
“Yamaha share the same passion as Valentino and we are engaged around the world with numerous programs to encourage and develop young aspiring riders to follow their dreams and to improve their performances to achieve their full potential. This new program will give a unique opportunity for selected talented riders to train and learn from “the Master” and from the full-time VR46 Riders Academy riders during the 2 one-week dedicated training sessions.
“An additional but equally important aspect of the new partnership is for Yamaha to support and engage with the VR46 Riders Academy‘s full time program. Yamaha will contribute with the supply of training bikes as well as getting involved in the education of the riders. Some of these young riders will surely evolve to be the Factory riders of tomorrow. Yamaha will be watching closely as their careers develop and hopefully some of them will become our next generation Factory riders in the future.”
For additional information, visit VR46 Riders Academy.