2024 MotoGP underdog sets bullish target of reaching Marquez/Bagnaia level
“I like to put goals in terms of practical things”
Fabio Di Giannantonio has outlined a bullish target of getting to “the same level as Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia” on the GP25 Ducati MotoGP bike.
The one-time grand prix winner’s MotoGP career was saved last-minute by VR46 at the end of the 2023 campaign, but he didn’t waste the opportunity presented to him.
Di Giannantonio was consistently the best GP23 behind Marc Marquez through 2023, and only slid behind VR46 team-mate Marco Bezzecchi in the standings due to missing the last two rounds to have surgery on the shoulder he dislocated at the Austrian GP.
So impressive was Di Giannantonio’s form that Ducati has given him the final GP25 it will field on the grid next year alongside its factory duo Marquez and Bagnaia.
While Di Giannantonio - whose recovery from surgery is going better than expected - doesn’t want to put results-based targets in front of him, he wants to be at the same level of competitiveness as Marquez and Bagnaia.
“I like to not put goals in terms of results,” Di Giannantonio said when asked about the coming season.
“I like to put goals in terms of practical things.
“I want to grow, I want to improve and I want to learn from them. And try to have their level.
“Then what this level brings to us, or where we can arrive, I don’t know.
“The results are a matter of many, many things: injuries, results, crashes, choices.
“So, the final result is difficult to say. But my goal is to have the same level as Marc Marquez and Bagnaia next year.”
Being part of the Ducati stable has allowed Di Giannantonio access to the data of the likes of Bagnaia, Marquez and 2024 world champion Jorge Martin.
He says the data shows his level “was not that bad” compared to Ducati’s leading riders, but also shows areas where he can improve.
“Let’s say that every rider has particular things,” he said when asked what each rider in Ducati does better.
“Marc is amazing in the left corners. He’s really amazing, but he misses a lot on the right corners.
“Pecco is amazing on the braking, maybe on the braking he’s the best Ducati rider.
“Bastianini was the best in terms of keeping the tyres fresh in the end of the race.
“And Martin in the qualifying could just make a big, big difference in the qualifying area.
“So, I was trying to study more Martin and Pecco, and sometimes Marquez because we had the same bike.
“But honestly, and luckily, this year my level was not that bad, so the difference was not so much. For sure we have many areas we have to improve and for sure I will continue to study them.”
