Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP team praised as “in another league”
"This team is fantastic. It’s a factory team"
Fabio Di Giannantonio says Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Racing MotoGP outfit is “in another league” and likens the Ducati satellite squad to “a factory team”.
MotoGP legend Rossi first operated a team in grand prix racing in 2014 in Moto3, before expanding the project into Moto2 from 2017.
In 2021, VR46 backed Luca Marini’s side of the Avintia Ducati MotoGP squad before Rossi’s outfit entered into the premier class outright the following year.
In just three seasons, VR46 has managed to win grands prix with Marco Bezzecchi and has snagged official status from Ducati for 2025 following Pramac’s switch to Yamaha.
Di Giannantonio, who ended 2024 as VR46’s top rider, had his MotoGP career saved by Rossi’s team and will remain next year aboard a GP25.
“It has been my best season of my career because I have never been so consistent and so in a high level, because in MotoGP I never had this level all year long,” Di Giannantonio, who is recovering well from season-ending shoulder surgery, said.
“Also this year has been tough for many reasons, also apart from the injury the bike was not that easy.
“But we were there and always fighting. And before my injury I just finished Silverstone just behind Pecco [Bagnaia] and [Marc] Marquez.
“So, could have been a really great year for us. But we have to take out the positives.
“I grew a lot as a rider and also as a person.
“This is thanks also to the team because the team is amazing. Believe me, this team is in another league. This team is fantastic. It’s a factory team.”
Di Giannantonio’s MotoGP career looked in doubt late in 2023 when Gresini signed Marquez for the following season, before the Italian then won the Qatar GP.
Despite missing three rounds due to injury in 2024, Di Giannantonio was the second-best GP23 behind Marquez throughout the season.
Reflecting on his path to now having factory machinery for 2025, Di Giannantonio said: “My journey is quite particular, let’s say.
“When I was young I never had a plan B in my mind. I always wanted to be a MotoGP rider. Once I arrived here I always believed in me and in the work that we were doing.
“I always believed that we could do it. So, this thing is something I understood I have in my life, I really believe in a lot, I like to dream and try to achieve that dream.
“It’s more a goal - I like to set goals and achieve them. And from last year what we made was this: when I was almost without a seat, we said ‘Ok, what is the goal at the moment. The goal is to improve as a rider, so let’s improve the maximum as a rider and try to do the best’.
“Once we did it, what’s the next goal? Let’s try to find a seat because we improved as a rider. We got it in the final stages.
“Then the goal of the 2024 season was to have a high level and be consistent in every race.
“And we’ve done it again. So, I love to set goals, work for it, because I really, really think anything is possible.”
