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11th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is a Go Next Week
June 7, 2022—The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp training programme is back for the eleventh edition of its training programme, staged at Valentino Rossi‘s VR46 Motor Ranch and other VR46 Rider Academy training locations from 6 - 11 June 2022.
The five selected talented riders are all currently competing in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The new Master Camp students include Passkon Sanluang (aged 19) and Worapot Thongdonmaun (aged 17) from Thailand, Aldi Satya Mahendra (aged 16) from Indonesia, MD Aliff Danial Bin Muhammad Asri (aged 18) from Malaysia, and Maiki Abe (aged 18) from Japan, who people will know as the son of late racing icon Norifumi “Norick” Abe.
The new recruits will get to ride at the VR46 Motor Ranch‘s Flat Track on YZ250Fs and will receive soft cross training on the MX track on YZ125s. Furthermore, the youngsters will be riding at the Circuit di Pomposa on YZF-R3s (made possible by Yamalube, Akrapovič, and Pirelli), and at the mini Supermoto Jeepers Park on MiniGP YZ85 bikes.
The up-and-coming riders will be joined by their VR46 Academy seniors at every session for some personal coaching. Besides riding, the protégées will also work out at the Fisio Gym, receive MotoGP eSport lessons from Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Lorenzo Daretti aka Trastevere73 (made possible by MSI Gaming), and pay a visit to the WorldSBK paddock that will be racing at the Misano World Circuit that weekend.
The eleventh-edition riders will be provided with new Yamaha VR46 Master Camp outfits for on and off-track wear (made possible by Oakley, Alpinestars, and VR 46).
William Favero – Marketing & Communication Manager, Yamaha Motor Racing
“The tenth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp feels like it was yesterday, but we are already preparing to open our doors to the next group. VR46 and our Yamaha staff are pleased to finally host Asian riders again after a forced two-year break due to the pandemic.
“The Master Camp originally started with a group of Asian riders, as Yamaha strongly feels it's important for upcoming talents to see how riders racing on World Chapionship-level train. Of course there is no better and well thought out training centre than VR46. The training facilities, instructors, and programme there are all top-notch – which is why joining the Master Camp is such a big opportunity that shouldn‘t be let go to waste.
“The new recruits are surely very excited to meet and train with the VR46 Riders, who feel likewise. We expect that they and Valentino will also be curious to meet Maiki Abe, son of Norifumi. His father played such a key role in Rossi‘s career as a source of inspiration.”
9th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Participants
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Passkon Sanluang Carreer Highlights |
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Worapot Thongdonmaun Carreer Highlights |
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Aldi Satya Mahendra Carreer Highlights |
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MD Aliff Danial Bin Muhammad Asri Carreer Highlights |
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Maiki Abe Carreer Highlights |
ABOUT THE YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP
In an effort to support young Italian riders aiming to become world-class racers, Valentino Rossi decided to put his vast experience and knowledge from his many years of racing to good use in 2014 and established the VR46 Riders Academy.
In March 2016, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. entered into a formal three-year partnership agreement with the VR46 Riders Academy as an Official Partner and also as its Official Motorcycle Supplier.
In July of 2016, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy staged the inaugural Yamaha VR46 Master Camp with the goal of helping selected young Yamaha talent make their way in the racing world by increasing their skills and experience in various racing disciplines.
Since then the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp has put on ten subsequent training events. The participants so far have been 47 mostly teenage riders, who race in various championships on bikes like the YZF-R25 and YZF-R3, and hail from 16 countries in all: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States.
Thailand‘s Keminth Kubo, who took part in the fifth edition of the programme, is currently participating in the Moto2 World Championship as a Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team rider. His teammate Manuel Gonzalez is a Yamaha bLU cRU rider who worked his way up from the WorldSSP300 World Championship and WorldSSP World Championship to the Moto2 World Championship.
The riders for the eleventh edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp were selected by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. A place in the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp can't be bought, nor can riders apply for a placement – riders are to be put forward by Yamaha distributors.
