Valentino Rossi’s half-brother Luca Marini will step up to MotoGP in 2021 alongside Enea Bastianini at Avintia after signing directly with Ducati. 2020 saw Enea Bastianini become a World Champion as he took the Moto2 crown. 2021 brings a new challenge, as he forms part of an exciting-looking Avintia Esponsorama Racing outfit.

Luca Marini’s debut in MotoGP with Sky VR46 Avintia thanks to the agreement between Sky Racing Team VR46, Esponsorama Racing and Ducati. Marini will be the second rider of Team Sky-VR46 to make his debut in the top class after Francesco Bagnaia, Moto2 World Champion in 2018, who is now waiting for his friend for new challenges on the track in the top class. Marini’s step up to the premier class means Rossi will be racing with three of his Academy riders alongside Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia and his Petronas SRT team-mate Franco Morbidelli.

Among the most talented young rider in the entire Italian panorama and in the VR46 Riders Academy since his birth, Luca Marini will make his MotoGP debut with the Sky Racing Team VR46. He earned the promotion to the top class thanks to 6 successes in the intermediate category (all riding the Kalex of the Sky Racing Team VR46) and three seasons as a protagonist in Moto2, crowned by second place in the Championship in 2020.

MotoGP’s current agreement with the independent teams comes to an end at the conclusion of the 2021 campaign, making a move for Rossi’s team full-time into the premier class much easier as it wouldn’t have to buy out a team’s slot.