Valentino Rossi asks Diggia: “Are you sure you want to leave?” after Catalunya MotoGP win
Valentino Rossi joked about Fabio di Giannantonio’s future after the Italian delivered VR46’s first MotoGP win since 2023.
Fabio di Giannantonio battled through the pain of a hand injury to secure VR46’s first MotoGP victory since 2023 during Sunday’s dramatic grand prix of Catalunya.
The Italian, whose only previous premier-class win came with Gresini in that same season, was struck by debris during the frightening Alex Marquez-Pedro Acosta collision that stopped the original race.
Following a second red flag, triggered by a heavy Turn 1 accident that left Johann Zarco with serious leg injuries, di Giannantonio hunted down race leader Acosta during the final restart.
The Ducati rider snatched the lead with three laps to go and, with a delighted Valentino Rossi watching trackside, delivered the team’s first MotoGP victory since Marco Bezzecchi at the 2023 Indian Grand Prix.
It was also VR46’s first win since becoming Ducati’s official satellite team at the beginning of last season, after being left in Gresini's shadow last year.
But having emerged as Ducati’s leading rider in the world championship, di Giannantonio is now widely expected to leave VR46 and join the factory KTM project for the new 850cc era.
“Are you sure you want to leave us?” laughs Rossi, while posing for photos with di Giannantonio during the team's post-race celebrations in the latest MotoGP Unseen video.
di Giannantonio smiles back but doesn't answer.
“Great job! Bravo,” adds Rossi, before giving di Giannantonio a hug and thumbs up.
Spaniard Fermin Aldeguer is expected to switch from Gresini to ride one of the VR46 machines next season.
However, with major doubts over Franco Morbidelli’s future, the identity of Aldeguer’s 2027 teammate is unclear.
“We want to keep at least one Italian rider for next year because our team has always grown with Italian riders,” Rossi said earlier in the Catalunya weekend.
“So there are several options, several things to figure out. Nothing's official yet, we'll see."
WorldSBK title leader Nicolo Bulega, Rossi’s brother Luca Marini and Sunday’s Moto2 runner-up Celestino Vietti have all been linked with the remaining VR46 seat.
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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.
