On the face of it, things look very rosy for Ducati in 2025. With two-time world champion Becco Bagnaia still front and centre of the team’s line-up – with a third title in the cards if all goes to plan this year – alongside six-time premier class champion Marc Marquez, the top two riders are sitting very well indeed.
But if we look beyond that, it is not as perfect as it seems. The loss of championship contender Jorge Martin and Valentino Rossi’s protégé Marco Bezzecchi to Aprilia, as well as the outstanding rider Enea Bastianini to KTM, all of this would rob the Ducati team of much of its current star power.
Ducati also lost Pramac from its group, as the group that had been part of the company for a long time switched to Yamaha machines.
While the in-form Alex Marquez will remain at Gresini, likely to be joined by Moto2 rider Fermin Aldeguerre, and Franco Morbidelli looks set to move to VR46, the factory has one real saviour among its ‘secondary’ ranks – and it may come as a surprise: Fabio Di Giannantonio, who recently secured a factory deal.
Having been parachuted into VR46 for the 2024 season after losing his Gresini seat to Marquez – although he was likely to lose it even before the Spaniard pushed him out the door – Di Giannantonio was pitted directly against Bezzecchi, a battle within the team that was only expected to go one way.
In previous comparisons, Di Giannantonio failed to achieve what was expected. He scored only 24 points in his first season in 2022, finishing 20th in the standings and last among the Ducati team, while Bezzecchi finished 14th with 111 points when he also participated for the first time.
Things didn’t look much better for much of the following year. After the Japanese Grand Prix, Di Giannantonio had only 53 points, while Bezzecchi was third overall with 265. Di Giannantonio’s premier class career seemed to be heading downhill.
But at the end of the season, Di Giannantonio achieved his best position of his career at the Indonesian Grand Prix, followed by a podium finish the following week in Australia. Things got even better: in Qatar, Di Giannantonio took his first MotoGP victory, and then scored a podium finish in the season finale in Valencia – but was denied it by a tyre pressure penalty.
Meanwhile, he was facing a future without a seat. Even at the post-race press conference in Valencia, Di Giannantonio was unable to confirm his plans, which were finally confirmed the following day – less than 24 hours before pre-season testing where he will make his debut with the VR46.
At that point, it seemed clear what the hierarchy would be for 2024: Bezzecchi as the star in the making, leading the way, with Di Giannantonio in a clear No. 2 role.
Now, halfway through the 2024 season, things have taken a completely different turn. Di Giannantonio is currently eighth with 104 points, the fifth-best Ducati rider behind Martin, Bagnaia, Bastianini and Marquez, while Bezzecchi is eleventh with 61 points. Of the four GP23 riders, Di Giannantonio is the second-best behind the erratic Marquez.
It’s important to note that all of this is not to belittle Bezzecchi, who struggled to adapt to the braking and cornering style of GP23, but rather points to the steady improvement in Di Giannantonio’s form. He has qualified outside the top 10 just twice so far this year, and has finished inside that in every Grand Prix except one: the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring, where he retired with a technical problem.
Sunday’s British Grand Prix, the last race before his factory arrangements were announced, was a clear example of how far he has come.
Di Giannantonio lined up in 10th, making up three places heading into the Wellington Straight on the opening lap, and went on to finish fifth after overtaking Aleix Espargaro on the final lap – although Di Giannantonio said after the race that without the delay in the battle with Alex Márquez, he felt he could have had enough speed to catch fourth-placed Marc Márquez – if not for Bagnaia in third.
As the calendar now turns to the tracks where Di Giannantonio performed strongly last year, there could be even bigger things in store for us in the second half of 2024, and continued improvement in form could be crucial for Ducati in 2025.
While Alex Marquez is a reliable presence with occasional podium finishes, Morbidelli is less predictable, and Aldeguerre’s readiness for MotoGP remains up for debate.
With the rider market having shifted dramatically over the past few months, with Marquez’s promotion moving many gears, keeping Di Giannantonio was a smart move – but it wasn’t a sure thing to begin with. Several teams were keen to sign the Italian, with Fabio Quartararo keen for Yamaha to take him on the Pramac roster, while Honda had previously expressed interest in 2024 as a replacement for Marquez.
Di Giannantonio himself would not have imagined this situation when he was struggling to find a home late last year. Speaking about this change in fortunes, he said: “I am very proud of my journey and I feel honoured that so many manufacturers have shown interest in me. It means I am doing a good job, learning and getting faster and faster.
“Last year I tried to focus on myself and it worked because in the end we had incredible growth throughout the year and it was also important this year to be out there and push the bike I have now.”
Asked if he could have imagined being in this position last year, he added: “Sometimes life is unbelievable and I think you’re the only one who can change your future and we changed that, so I’m very proud, honestly.”
With that in mind, it looks as though Di Giannantonio will provide a steady presence, with his health allowing him to play the de facto number three role supporting the star duo of Bagnaia and Marquez.
Despite those signs of interest from other parties, it’s starting to look like only a matter of time before Ducati can put the next piece of the puzzle in place. And given Di Giannantonio’s trajectory, that could be crucial indeed.
