Di Giannantonio knocks Gresini: “I didn’t like how they managed the situation”

Di Giannantonio is the unfortunate victim of Marquez’s will to quit Repsol Honda in favour of teaming with his brother Alex Marquez in 2024 in the Ducati satellite team.

He spent weeks hearing rumours of his inevitable axing before it was confirmed.

“I was so sad! So sad,” di Giannantonio told TNT Sports.

“I really put everything into this team. Because I really wanted to achieve the main goal with this team.

“But, then, the other side? Marc Marquez is the game. We are perfectionists so this can happen.

“It is normal that [there is] a market.

“I didn’t like how the team managed the situation, honestly.

“They could have had more trust in me, honestly.

“In me, and [crew chief Frankie Carchedi], and our work. And they could have waited a little bit more, honestly.

“Marc is coming. He’s the best here. Eight-time world champion.

“It’s fine. It is what it is…”

"It's a risk" to ignore other offers

Di Giannantonio, since his exit from Gresini was confirmed, has enjoyed a fine run of form.

He was fourth in India then on the podium for the first time in Australia last weekend.

Those performances give di Giannantonio hope that he could snatch a last-gasp second-chance to keep his MotoGP career alive.

Marquez’s Repsol Honda is the only available bike in the 2024 MotoGP rider line-up but, should they recruit Miguel Oliveira, then an opportunity crops up at RNF.

Di Giannantonio hasn’t thought about Moto2 or World Superbikes yet: “At this moment, we just had to [get] results because we don’t have anything for next year. Nothing for the future.

“Let’s focus on the results then we’ll see. If we do good things, then good things will come. No?

“It’s what we’re trying to do, at the moment.

“At the moment, I never took into consideration other options in other classes because the goal is to stay in MotoGP.

“Once I am 100% sure that I cannot be in MotoGP, I will consider other things.

“It’s a risk but I want to take this risk for MotoGP.

“At the moment, I don’t have a clear plan.”

The past few weeks, caught up in the frenzy around Marquez, have been horrible for di Giannantonio.

“This period has been tough, in a way,” he said.

“On-track I am super happy about what I’m doing this year.

“I’m growing so much, doing things that last year I was not capable of.

“To improve like this, to arrive step-by-step…

“Outside of this? Everything about kicking me off for next season.”

In India he broke down in tears after finishing fourth and was consoled by Ducati’s Paolo Ciabatti.

“I saw my dreams [going] away,” he reflected.

“I reached a little goal, to be closer to the front. In parc ferme in that moment, it was revenge.

“But on myself. Not to anyone. Just to myself. With some tears!”

'Frankie Carchedi one of the best and most professional'

His crew chief, Frankie Carchedi, who won the 2020 championship with Joan Mir at Suzuki, will work alongside Marquez next year.

“I worked with a few crew chiefs in my life,” di Giannantonio said.

“Frankie is one of the best and most professional guys that I have worked with.

“Sometimes we think the same thing. It helps a lot.

“I was on track thinking ‘maybe I need this’. I came to the box and said ‘Frankie, I need this…’

“‘Perfect, let’s try…’

“It makes faster steps.”

Last year was di Giannantonio’s first in the premier class, a season where snatching pole position at his home race, the Italian MotoGP, was a highlight.

“It was an amazing, a pole position in my rookie year in front of a home crowd,” he said.

“We built the team, honestly, together from zero.

“It was a [big] step. The team was completely new.

“It ruined the year! I was a rookie, my technicians were rookies. So it was difficult to be against the best in the business with a full rookie team.”