As I have said before it is hard to knock the Academy, which has produced a two time premier class world champion and other premier class race winners as well as junior class success, all with Italian riders as you say after years of Spanish domination.Is there any new riders coming through the academy? If nothing else the academy has been very successful in getting young Italian talent onto good rides. Whether those riders would have ended up in a similar position is up for debate. I know nothing about the academy but if the riders/their parents had to pay for their positions in the academy then I would assume the guys with money could have ended up in a similar position.
I would've thought if you are a team owner with a brand the size of Rossi's that an academy, not just open to Italians would be a great way of making sure you can get top talent onto your bikes.
I agree about having a supply of riders, the Red Bull programme continues to churn out riders of talent, which has sometimes been to the detriment of those riders imo, hitherto anyway, with a satellite KTM ride not proving to be much of a reward for moto 2 success so far.
Probably not a bad move for Bezzecchi to stay with VR46 if there is mutual loyalty, presuming they are not going to continue long term as a Ducati customer team running year old bikes. Ducati certainly have a log jam of talent currently, not all of whom can proceed to be on the factory Ducati team.
Last edited: