Official: Fabio di Giannantonio secures VR46 Ducati seat for MotoGP 2024
di G🌃iannantonio lost his Gresini seat to Marc Marquez and, although denied a direct swap with the Spaniard, the Qatar winner will now fill the void left by Luca Marini's own Repsol Honda mꦛove.
The #49's Gresini seat was under threat even before the shock Marquez rumours, but everything began fall💦ing into place performance-wise in the last seven rounds.
It started w෴ith a career-best equalling eighth in Japan, followed by fourth in India, a debut podium in Phillip Island, runner-up in the Qatar Sprint and fairytale victory in the main grand p📖rix.
di Giannantonio then🅠 came within a fraction of back-to-back Sunday wins at the Valencia finale, although he was demoted from second to fourth by a🥃 post-race tyre pressure penalty.
Diggia’s surge in performance propelled him past VR46's initial replacement targets, Moto2 ♈riders Fermin Aldeguer and Tony Arbolino, to seal the GP23 ride alongside Marco Bezzecchi.
"I'm happy to join such a strong Team as the Mooney VR46 Racing Team, I can learn a lot and I can't wait to start working together on this project, we🍒 can do really good ꦜthings," di Giannantonio said.
"In the last two seasons in MotoGP I have grown a lot and in this Team I will certainly be able to mature further and achieve great results. I'm excited, I caꦓn't wait to meet all🌠 my new staff and crew and start working on the track. Thanks to everyone who made this possible."
di Giannantonio is the first rider to 🎐join Valentino Rossi's MotoGP team who is not a member of the VR46 Academy, or indeed a rookie (as both Marini and Bezze🤪cchi had been).
"I am really happy to announce that Fabio will join our team," Salucci said. "It w🍰as an unexpected arrival, at the last minute 🌊but I am satisfied that we have chosen him. He had a great end of the season, he didn't lose himself when things didn't go well and I'm sure he'll be able to feel at home here.
"On a motorsport level, he has proven to be among the fastest young Italians, he will continue to work with Ducati and the object🍌ive is to help him be not only competitive, but also consistent in his results.
"It is an ambitious project, it marks a turning point in the history of our Team, b♔ut I am sure that we will all give our best to go in the same direction."
di Giannantonio, who finished twelfth in this year’s world championship, will make his V🍸R46 debut at Tuesday’s post-race test.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 y✨ears and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
