Luca Marini has been officially confirmed as moving to MotoGP next season, riding for Avintia Ducati alongside f🎶ellow rookie Enea Bastianini.

The much-rumoured deal means that Marini will compete on the same grid as brother Valentino Rossi, becoming the✨ third set of sibl♋ings in the premier-class alongside the Espargaro and Marquez brothers.

Both Marini and Basti♑anini will have year-old Ducati GP19 machines👍.

“Getting to MotoGP is the dream that every rider has had since childhood," Marini said. Having this great opportunity a📖nd being able to share it with Sky Racing Team VR46, Esponsorama Racing and Ducati is even better.

"In these years with the team I have accumulat🧸ed a lot of experience, I have grown, and I have achieved the first important res𒆙ults. We are in a crucial phase of the season; we will continue to work hard to reach the maximum goal before taking this big step together"

Marini's move could well be a precurs🅺or to the VR46 team also j♍oining the MotoGP grid in 2022, when the start of a new contract between the independent teams and Dorna means VR46 would not need to buy an existing grid place.

Marini (a six-time grand prix winner and currently thir𝕴d in the Moto2 standings) and Bastianini (also a six-time winner and second to Sam Lowes in the standings) join Jorge Martin in moving up to tꦚhe MotoGP class next season.

Bastianini, previously announced as a Ducati MotoGP rider but with his team not officially confirmed until now, said: “I am very𒆙 happy to ge🐼t into MotoGP with Ducati and Esponsorama Racing. Now I have to concentrate on finishing the season, since I would like to go up as World Champion although I know it will not be easy.

"The following season, several riders made the leap to MotoGP, we starteꦫd a new adventure together with the fastest riders in the world in which I think that together with the tea🐈m I will be able to achieve good results."

"Having Luca Marini with us next year and the structure of the Sky VR46 iဣs a source of pride since, to this day, it is one of the strongest structures in the championship in all categories," said Avintia's Raul Romero, suggesting Marini (at least) will continue&nbsꦏp;in Sky colours.

"Next year we will make a leap in quality in which we have high expectations of continuing 🌜to show that we are a benchmark team in the MotoGP World Championship."

Tito Rabat had a contract in place with Avintia for next year, he has struggled to match the results of new team-mate Johann Zarco and, while his 2021 plans are unclear, had been linked with a Ducati World✱SBK ride. Zarc﷽o is moving from Avintia to Pramac next season.