Marc VDS Racing Team

What Marc VDS Racing Team does

Marc VDS Racing Team (legally MARC VDS SWISS RACING S.A., headquartered operationally in Gosselies, Belgium) is a privately held professional motorcycle racing organization founded in 2010 by Marc van der Straten to compete in the inaugural Moto2 World Championship. The team currently operates two core racing programs: a Moto2 entry running Boscoscuro chassis with riders Aron Canet and Deniz Öncü across a 22-round FIM Moto2 World Championship season, and a FIM World Superbike (WorldSBK) entry fielding Sam Lowes on a Ducati Panigale V4R across a 12-round campaign. The organization has also recently entered the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) and has historical programs in MotoE, Moto3, and MotoGP, accumulating three Moto2 World Championship titles (2014 with Tito Rabat, 2017 with Franco Morbidelli, 2019 with Alex Marquez) and over 100 podiums across all World Championship categories.

The team's underlying technology stack is hardware-defined rather than software-defined: competitive machinery is supplied by external chassis (Boscoscuro) and engine manufacturers (Ducati for WorldSBK), with in-house team IP concentrated in setup, race engineering, and rider development. The team differentiates through a family-oriented operational culture, multi-category racing pedigree, and an established rider-development track record that has converted multiple riders into world champions. Distribution is international by construction, with race calendars spanning circuits across multiple continents and broadcast exposure delivering sponsor visibility.

Marc VDS generates revenue through three mechanisms: commercial sponsorship contracts (with ELF holding title-sponsorship and naming rights, plus a broader partner portfolio including Pirelli, Beta, DTS, and NL), race prize money from championship finishes, and partnership/activation value. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The organization is family-owned following the July 2026 passing of founder Marc van der Straten, with no venture capital, private equity, or institutional investment disclosed in available sources.

Name

Marc VDS Racing Team

Legal name

MARC VDS SWISS RACING S.A.

Website

https://marcvds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marc VDS Racing Team is a privately held Swiss-incorporated professional motorcycle racing organization that competes in the Moto2 and WorldSBK World Championships, delivering brand exposure and championship racing for a portfolio of sponsors led by title sponsor ELF.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Motorcycle Racing

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorsports Teams & Entrants (Factory & Independent) (MPAKAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Motorsports Teams (F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Rally, MotoGP, etc.) (MPAKABAB), Motorsports Events (F1, NASCAR, Rally, Moto) (MPAGAMAD)

Keywords

• Motorcycle racing team
• Professional motorsport
• Moto2 championship
• World Superbike racing
• Racing sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Gosselies

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Marc VDS Racing Team is a professional motorcycle racing team that fields factory-style racing programs in the FIM Moto2 World Championship (racing Boscoscuro motorcycles with riders Aron Canet and Deniz Öncü) and the FIM Superbike World Championship (racing a Ducati Panigale V4R with rider Sam Lowes). The team also competes in the Endurance World Championship (EWC). Revenue is generated through corporate sponsorship partnerships, racing prize money, and brand-visibility activations for partners including ELF, Beta, Pirelli, and DTS.

Product overview

Elf Marc VDS Racing Team is a Swiss-based motorcycle racing organization competing primarily in the Moto2 World Championship and World Superbike (WorldSBK) Championship. The team operates two distinct racing programs: Moto2 with riders Aron Canet and Deniz Öncü on Boscoscuro machinery, and WorldSBK with Sam Lowes on a Ducati Panigale V4R. The team has historically competed in MotoE, Moto3, and MotoGP categories, and recently expanded into the Endurance World Championship (EWC). Marc VDS was founded by Marc van der Straten and has won three Moto2 World Championship titles (2014, 2017, 2019). The organization is headquartered in Belgium and maintains partnerships with sponsors including ELF, Beta, Pirelli, and DTS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Moto2 Program FIM Moto2 World Championship racing program featuring riders Aron Canet and Deniz Öncü racing Boscoscuro motorcycles across the 22-round Moto2 championship season; offered as a sponsorship/brand-visibility partnership platform.
• Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – WorldSBK Program FIM Superbike World Championship racing program with rider Sam Lowes racing a Ducati Panigale V4R across the 12-round WorldSBK campaign; offered as a sponsorship/brand-visibility partnership platform.
• Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – EWC Endurance Program FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) racing program for long-distance motorcycle endurance competition, expanding the team's racing footprint beyond Moto2 and WorldSBK.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 Moto2 World Championship titles (2014, 2017, 2019)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gresini Racing: Independent Italian motorcycle racing team that has competed across Moto2, MotoGP, and MotoE with a similar sponsor-driven revenue model and family-style ownership; directly comparable as a privateer-style team running multiple FIM World Championship programs.
• VR46 Racing Team: Independent Moto2/MotoGP team founded by Valentino Rossi with strong sponsor backing and rider-development focus; competes in the same FIM World Championship categories as Marc VDS with a comparable private-team structure.
• Leopard Racing: Independent motorcycle racing team historically active in Moto3 and Moto2 with a similar private-team operating model and reliance on sponsorship; directly comparable as a peer privateer in the FIM World Championship paddock.
• Aspar Team (Angel Nieto Team): Spanish independent motorcycle racing team that has run Moto2, Moto3, and MotoGP entries; comparable in scale and business model as a privately operated multi-category World Championship team.
• RW Racing GP: Dutch private motorcycle racing team running Moto2 and Moto3 programs; comparable as a similarly sized, sponsor-funded independent outfit competing in the same World Championship categories.
• Forward Racing: Independent motorcycle racing team with historical Moto2 and MotoGP entries operating on a similar private-team, sponsorship-funded basis; directly comparable in business model and category footprint.
• Speed Up Racing: Independent Moto2 team that also operated as a chassis supplier, demonstrating the parallel privateer business model Marc VDS uses; directly comparable in FIM World Championship participation and private-team economics.
• SAG Racing Team: Independent Asian-based motorcycle racing team competing in Moto2 with a similar privateer operating model; comparable as a peer privateer team running a single-championship World Championship program with sponsor revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Ducati Aruba.it Racing: Factory-supported Ducati WorldSBK team that races the same Ducati Panigale V4R machinery Marc VDS uses; comparable as a larger, manufacturer-aligned incumbent in the WorldSBK paddock where Marc VDS competes.

Others

• FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme): Governing body that sanctions the Moto2, MotoGP, WorldSBK, MotoE, and EWC championships Marc VDS competes in; included as the regulatory ecosystem enabler whose commercial framework defines the team's addressable market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ElfMarcVDS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCq2Obt-Isgo2uyfhGZatmFg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElfMarcVDSRacingTeam
• Instagraminstagram.com/elfmarcvdsracingteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marc-vds-racing-team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marc VDS Racing Team