Fabio di Giannantonio says he will try to “annoy” Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia when he is on the same equipment as the factory Ducati riders in MotoGP next year.

On the back of his impressive form astride a year-old bike in 2024, di Giannantonio has landed a contract directly with Ducati to ride its latest GP25 at VR46 next year.

The terms of the deal give him the same status that allowed Jorge Martin to win the 2024 MotoGP title with Pramac. However, while Franco Morbidelli also enjoyed the same privilege at Pramac this year, di Giannantonio will now be the only rider outside the official team to get a factory-spec bike and full technical support from the Borgo Panigale marque.

The Italian is hoping this will allow him to mix with former champions Marquez and Bagnaia in MotoGP next year, but thinks there won’t be so much pressure on him to perform at the top level.

“It’s a beautiful opportunity, that’s how it is,” he told GPOne. “This season on the GP25 will be a beautiful opportunity to become an even better rider.

“It’s a responsibility, it’s something I’ve been looking for all my life, but at the same time we are not the ‘reds’ today, so in reality we can still ‘play’. The responsibility of being in an official team is different, there you have to win, so I think that kind of responsibility will be especially felt by Pecco and Marc”.

“We can have a lot of fun, try to be the outsiders, we can try to annoy them, and this will also give me the opportunity to learn a lot from them by working on their same level. So I don’t see any negative aspects, but only a great opportunity. I’m sorry I didn’t get podiums this year, for the team, I would really like to do well to see them celebrate.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“As I often say, however, I don’t want to think about the results already, the goal must be to grow and enjoy the experience: enjoy the GP25, go fast, enjoy this moment for which we have sweated, enjoy the privileged relationship with Ducati, and in the end we will draw a line and see how it went!”

Di Giannantonio’s MotoGP career was seemingly coming to an end after 2023 as six-time premier class champion Marquez broke his contract at Honda to take the Italian’s spot at Gresini.

But that announcement coincided with an upturn in form for the Italian, leading to his maiden grand prix victory at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Finding a reprieve at VR46 this year, he outperformed his more experienced team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, finishing in 10th place in the riders’ championship.

But having picked up an injury on his left shoulder in Austria, he was forced to skip the last two races of the year in order to undergo a surgery.

The long recovery period meant he was also absent from the post-season test at Barcelona last month – and thus missed out on the opportunity to ride the new GP25 prototype.

However, having received positive feedback on the new bike from Ducati test rider Michele Pirro, who was able to draw a direct comparison between the two versions of the Desmosedici after racing the GP23 in Barcelona, the 26-year-old is eager to start the next chapter of his career in the Sepang test in February.

“I can’t wait to try it to personally understand what feeling it will give me,” he said. “From the amazed comments of those who tried the GP23 again [Pirro], to then get on the GP25 [in the test], I was surprised.

“Above all, I expect not to struggle so much in riding at the pace we have been used to this year. This in itself would already be a significant step forward. It would allow me to optimize my riding style, not having to focus on optimizing the package.

“Obviously I don’t take anything for granted, it is still a new bike and there will be a period of adaptation, but I certainly expect to start from an excellent base.”

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