Fabio di Giannantonio heads for Thai MotoGP: “We start almost from zero”
Injured during testing, Fabio di Giannantonio starts "almost from zero" in this weekend's Thai MotoGP season opener.
Injured on the opening day of 2025 testing at Sepang, Fabio di Giannantonio is set for a MotoGP return in this weekend's Thai season opener.
The Italian had completed 49 laps, and was classified seventh fastest, when he fractured his collarbone after a wheelie went wrong during the practice start period in Malaysia.
“I am very happy to take this first flight to Thailand to start a new season,” said di Giannantonio, who will need to pass a medical check-up at the Buriram circuit.
“The recovery went well, I worked hard at home, and I feel ready to start.”
Missing the remaining two days at Sepang and entire Buriram test, some major technical decisions have been made in Diggia’s absence.
Ducati has opted to keep last year’s GP24 engine for GP25 riders Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia and di Giannantonio.
Chassis and aero will also start in GP24 specification. But that’s still a brand new package for di Giannantonio, who spent last season on the Desmosedici GP23.
“I look forward to restart working with the team to get to know better my new bike,” said the Italian.
“I’m ready and motivated, for sure it will be a weekend of growing, we will have to start almost from zero and understand many things."
di Giannantonio finished fourth in last year’s wet Thai Grand Prix, equalling his best result of the season. He then withdrew from the remaining rounds for surgery on the same left shoulder he would injure at Sepang earlier this month.
Although di Giannantonio is set to return, the 2025 grid will still be incomplete with reigning champion Jorge Martin - also injured on day one at Sepang - ruled out by another hand injury, in a training accident.
Meanwhile, di Giannantonio’s team-mate Franco Morbidelli, racing the standard GP24 package this season, will be making his race debut for mentor Valentino Rossi’s squad at Buriram.
Morbidelli signed off an encouraging pre-season, which included being fastest of all on day two at Sepang, with seventh on the timesheets in the Buriram test.
“I am very happy to start the 2025 championship in Thailand,” Morbidelli said.
“For sure, we will start with a special energy both for the positive tests we did and for the excitement of this new adventure.
“Two weeks ago, on this track we worked very well to get ready at our best for the race, so we look forward to starting.
“We are all very motivated for this first race, and we will try to do our maximum.”
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
