Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1529190
Iannone Doesn't Get Second VR46 Call-Up A ndrea Iannone's MotoGP return will stand as one race after the Italian was not given a sec- ond call-up to replace injured Fabio Di Giannanto- nio in the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team at this weekend's season-ending Solidarity GP at the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya. Instead, the team has decided on running long- time Ducati Corse test rider Michele Pirro, who will thus keep his record intact of competing in at least one MotoGP event in every season since his sole full-time campaign in 2012. Valentino Rossi gave Andrea Iannone his first MotoGP appearance since 2019 at last week's Ma - laysian Grand Prix, where Iannone finished 17th. At the time, Iannone was uncertain if he would ride in the season finale in Barcelona, which was relocated from Valencia due to the devastating flooding in the area. "It is always nice to race in this category and then also with Valentino's colors, whom I thank together with Uccio [Salucci] and Pablo [Nieto]. "I send a big hug to Fabio; he was doing really well, but not being 100 percent physically fit on this engine size is complicated, and next year, he has a great opportunity with the GP25." CN WIND IN THE P36 Michele Pirro will get a turn on the VR46 Ducati at the Solidarity GP in Barcelona. Yamaha Announces 2025 WorldSSP Riders Y amaha used the EICMA Show in Milan to unveil its riders for the 2025 WorldSSP Championship. All of them will compete on the new Yamaha YZF-R9. Stefano Manzi will spearhead Yamaha's assault, racing once again for the Pata Ya - maha Ten Kate team with whom he has twice finished in second for the title. The Italian will be joined by Japan's Yuki Okamoto, who steps up to the World Champi- onship after winning the All Japan Road Rac- ing Championship JSB1000 title. Five-time WorldSBK race winner Michael Ruben Rinaldi will race with Christophe Guyot's GMT94 Yamaha as he makes his debut in the Supersport class. He'll join former Supersport World Cham - pion Lucas Mahias. The Evan Bros team, two-time WorldSSP Cham- pions for Yamaha, will take on a new look for 2025, becoming part of Yamaha's bLU cRU program to introduce young riders to WorldSSP. The 21-year- old Can Oncu, a former Red Bull Rookies Cup champion and the youngest Moto3 race winner, joins the new team. Oncu will be joined in the Evan Bros team by reigning FIM Supersport 300 World Champion, 18-year-old Aldi Satya Mahendra. CN Stefano Manzi will be hoping third time's a charm on the new R9 for 2025.