News - 18 May 2023 06:31

12th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp to Kick Off

May 18, 2023 – Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy once again come together in Tavullia to collaborate on their shared young talent training program. The 12th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, held from 19 - 25 May 2023, is one day longer than the usual format and will be attended by two European, one Latin American, and three Asian 2023 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship participants.

The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp training program is back for its twelfth edition from 19 - 25 May 2023, again staged at Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Motor Ranch and several other VR46 Rider Academy training locations.

As the twelfth edition is the only Master Camp training week scheduled for 2023, Yamaha and VR46 have opted to make this training camp especially intense: adding an extra day and allowing an extra participant to join the once-in-a-lifetime event.

All six selected talented riders are currently competing in Yamaha Motor Europe’s 2023 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship and are already getting used to operating in a World Championship paddock. The lucky riders are: Eduardo Burr (aged 16) from Brazil, Dawid Nowak (aged 14) from Poland, Marc Vich (aged 16) from Spain, Krittapat Keankum (aged 18) and Thurakij Buapa (aged 19) from Thailand, and Shoma Yamane (aged 15) from Japan.

The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp training program is intended to nurture talent. Racing and fitness professionals designed the Master Camp specifically with the aim to give young Yamaha stars a boost by enhancing their riding technique and overall professionalism.

To improve the twelfth edition Master Camp recruits’ skills, they will have a chance to ride at the VR46 Motor Ranch’s Flat Track on YZ250Fs and on its MX track for soft cross training on YZ125s. Furthermore, the youngsters will be riding at the Circuito di Pomposa on YZF-R3s, at Jeepers Park - Cattolica on MiniGP YZ85 bikes, and will also be turning their hands to go-karts at Jeepers Park.

The students will be joined by their VR46 Academy seniors at every session for some personal coaching. This year the ‘coaching panel’ will be joined by Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp rider Manuel Gonzalez, who will bring the competence and expertise he gathered in the 2022-2023 Moto2 seasons to the selected bLU cRU riders.

Besides riding, the protégées will also work out at the Fisio Gym and receive MotoGP eSport lessons from Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Lorenzo Daretti, aka Trastevere73.

Tetsu Ono: General Manager – Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.’s Motorsports Strategy Division

“We are highly anticipating the twelfth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, a unique occasion. This collaborative event is ever evolving. The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Moto2 Team (this year named ‘Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp’) is showing great progress in its second year in the Moto2 World Championship, inspiring young riders all over the world to hone their skills. The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp training week aims to help up-and-coming Yamaha talent with just that, and this year the program is starting a new era.

"This is the first time that we have selected 2023 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship riders on a global scale, allowing youngsters from Europe, Asia, and Latin America to attend the same training week. Next week, we will have the six promising protegées in Tavullia to really allow them to get to terms with the information and skill sets that will be taught by our experienced Yamaha VR46 Master Camp instructors and, of course, the VR46 Academy Riders."

Carlo Casabianca: VR46 Riders Academy Director

“We are looking forward to starting the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp training week again. This twelfth edition will be more demanding and fun than ever! We have an extra day of riding that will allow the guys to really put their newly gained skills to the test. We have an exciting group of Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship riders again. Like with previous groups contesting in this class, all six new Master Camp riders are extremely talented. We are certain that the VR46 Academy riders and the instructors will be able to help them gain a lot of knowledge and skills, and provide them with a week of training that they will never forget!

“I would like to thank Yamaha and all those who have helped VR46 organize the Master Camp project. The VR46 Riders Academy and the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp training week are great examples of what can be achieved when key players in the racing industry come together to help pave the way for up-and-coming talents. We hope that this edition of the Master Camp training week will again be instrumental in furthering the racing careers of young riders.”

12th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Participants