Fabio Di Giannantonio: "The development plan has shifted slightly in favor of Marc."

Fabio Di Giannantonio doesn't mince words. The VR46 driver, who is currently fourth in the Drivers' Championship with 50 points ahead of Marc Márquez himself, with 45 points believes that the direction taken by Ducati in its development is not suitable for it: “In recent years, it seems the development path has shifted slightly in Marc’s favor, while Pecco [Bagnaia] and I have struggled a bit to regain our confidence, especially at the front. As for me and my riding style, I’m going in the opposite direction to Marc.”

The Italian rider, who has been riding the factory bike since 2025, goes further by acknowledging a certain divergence within the Ducati rider group: "We're not entirely on the same wavelength." These are frank statements that point to a real internal tension within the Ducati camp regarding the motorcycle development philosophy.

From a technical standpoint, the Italian rider has precisely identified the compromise that is causing him problems. The modifications made to the Ducati have improved his performance on a flying lap: “This year, the bike has improved, and its setup allows me to be more aggressive with my lap pace, which explains my better qualifying results. However, we've also lost a little bit in terms of rear tire management. I can be very fast on the bike, but I'm less cautious than before, which used to be one of my strengths.” He's working to restore this lost balance with the engineers. He will notably use the first Official Test of the season this Monday in Jerez to explore new avenues.

These remarks need to be put back into context.

While Di Giannantonio's frustration is understandable, his statements deserve some qualification. The VR46 rider claims that Ducati developed the bike specifically for Márquez. But it's worth remembering that Bagnaia and he himself were already struggling during the 2025 season, the year the Spaniard joined the factory Ducati team and went on to win his seventh premier class title. And all this while Marc Márquez had never even ridden the bike, which therefore hadn't been developed around him. The confidence issues at the front and tire management thus predated the Spaniard's arrival at the factory team.

The track record of Fabio Di Giannantonio himself also calls for caution. After two difficult seasons at Gresini in 2022 and 2023 finished in the twentieth and twelfth rows he managed to keep a handlebar in MotoGP signing with VR46 after his first victory at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. He finished his first season with the team in tenth position in the championship with 165 points, before a sixth place in 2025 with 262 points.

A driver who is improving, certainly, but whose results remain inconsistent. There have been periods of good form followed by inconsistent performances where he struggles to score points. It's one thing to point the finger at Ducati's development when you're fourth in the championship after three races and ahead of Márquez overall. However, attributing his current and past difficulties to the influence of the nine-time world champion on a machine he hasn't known or helped develop beforehand is a bit of a hasty generalization.

It's also important to remember the situation at VR46, which doesn't seem likely to retain both its riders for next year, and even if Morbidelli is currently behind his teammate, the internal battle remains fierce. However, the best way for the riders to showcase their abilities is still on the track. Both riders will therefore be keen to achieve the best possible performance, starting with Friday's practice sessions.

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