Former MotoGP and WorldSBK team owner Marc van der Starten dies

Marc van der Straten, who has become one of the most famous team owners in MotoGP and WorldSBK over the last 20 years, has died at the age of 78. 

The Elf Marc VDS Racing team owner arrived on the Grand Prix stage in 2010, when he brought his team into the Moto2 class. His team would go on to achieve major success in the intermediate category, with Tito Rabat, Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez all winning titles with the team in 2014, 2017, and 2019, respectively. 

The team moved up to MotoGP in 2017, but more recently it has been competing in the WorldSBK championship as a one-rider team, led by British racer Sam Lowes.

The team confirmed van der Straten’s death as part of a statement on Sunday, July 5. The post said: 

“The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team is mourning the loss of its charismatic founder and owner Marc van der Straten, who sadly passed away peacefully at his home in Switzerland this morning (July 5th).

“An internationally renowned entrepreneur, it was Marc’s indelible passion for motorsport that helped make him a household name all around the world for fans of racing on two and four wheels.

“His love of motorsport was passed to him by his father, who was a former racer himself, and it was that shared enthusiasm that thrust Marc into a life dedicated to motorsport.

“Following success as a team owner in multiple four-wheeled disciplines, Marc embarked on what would become an incredible journey in Grand Prix motorcycle racing in 2010, when he created an ambitious project to join the inaugural Moto2 World Championship.

“Guided by Marc’s appetite to deliver excitement and success, Marc VDS won the Moto2 title in 2014, 2017 and 2019 with Tito Rabat, Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez.”

The full statement can be found above on the team’s Instagram social media account, where several current and former racers have honoured van der Straten.

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