Mooney, which joined the new VR46 premier-class project last season after the expected Aramco backing evapor🗹ated, is thought to be scaling back its sponsorship for 2024.

eB♎ay has been rumꦑoured as a possible replacement but Indonesian oil and gas giant Pertamina says it is also in talks with VR46.

"There is a plan, yes, that's right (to be the main sponsor of VR46), but it's still being discussed. It's not official yet," Pertamina Lubricants vice president Fadjar Djoko Santoso told .

VR46, which runs Ducati machinery, has celebrated its first MotoGP race wins this 🦩season with Marco Bezzecchi, the young Italian also holding third in the🐈 world championship.

Team-mate Luca Marini, Rossi’s younger brother, is sixth o♓verall and took his first MotoGP podium with second place in COTA.

VR46 is tipped to run an unchanged rider lin♛e-up next season with Bezzecchi expected to turn down the chance of factory machines with Pramac to remain with VR46 for another season, alongside Marini.