Why a factory KTM MotoGP contract is worth trading a winning Ducati for

In an exclusive interview with Crash.net, VR46 MotoGP rider Fabio Di Giannantonio explains why he is trading a winning works Ducati for a factory KTM contract next year.

The Italian stepped up to MotoGP in 2022 with the Gresini Ducati team and won his first race in his second year in Qatar.

Faced with losing his place on the grid at this stage of the 2023 campaign, VR46 offered him a lifeline, through which he gained factory machinery from Ducati. He has since won again in MotoGP, at Barcelona this year, and has earned a factory KTM deal for 2027.

Di Giannantonio looked likely to remain a VR46 Ducati rider into MotoGP’s new era in 2027 before the KTM offer was tabled, leading to a “really difficult” decision.

“It was really difficult,” he told Crash at the British Grand Prix.

“I always thought it was a great place to be, back then, and also now. And still is a great place to race.

“It’s the team that saved my career and also changed my career. So, I’m really grateful to them.

“Unfortunately, let’s say that I also had to look at my career, and in the condition that things were going, the best place for my career was to go to a factory team in KTM.

“Also, I think it’s the right age to go to a factory team to try to be the face of a company, of a brand.

“So, I think for me personally it will be a step. On track, we will only understand from Valencia on. But for sure it was really difficult to decide.”

'I'm VR46's number one, but not Ducati's'

Being a satellite team rider in MotoGP has changed dramatically over the last decade or so, with these outfits now essentially extensions of the factory squads.

In 2024, Jorge Martin won the world championship riding for the factory-supported Pramac independent team.

But riders do still face criticism for leaving winning bikes, even at satellite squads, to chase bigger money factory contracts. Martin copped some of that in his first season on the Aprilia, after signing for the Italian brand when Ducati made a U-turn on its plans to give him a factory team seat.

Di Giannantonio is leaving behind a Ducati that is currently battling for the title in 2026 to take on a KTM that hasn’t won a grand prix since 2022. So, why not just stay put?

“First of all, we are not allowed, teams, riders, to speak about the agreements,” he added.

“But also, we are not allowed to speak about the negotiations, how things go. So, sometimes you change because you have to change. It’s not from the team, it’s not from you. You have to change, let’s say.

“But apart from this, I am changing for a thing that is great, because it’s a factory team, and it changes because all of the company works for you. And you are the result of all the work done by a big company.

“So, having all the partners, all the sponsors, all of the support, all of the company, to give you 100% the best machine possible to make you win is a thing that is always fascinating.

“It’s great for a rider. Here, maybe I’m the number one rider in VR46, but not for Ducati. We have a factory bike, we have factory support, we have the best possible pieces, but not made specifically for me. So, it’s a bit different.”

The 2027 season is set to be a major reset for the grid. But early indications from private testing are that Ducati and Aprilia have hit the ground running with their 850cc bikes.

VR46, then, is set to get another strong package. However, satellite teams may well feel a bigger delay in 2027 in receiving new parts. There are no wildcards permitted for 2027, so most of the development work will have to be done by riders during race weekends. Naturally, the factory team riders will get priority.

And even when an item does filter down, it’s likely not been designed with the satellite rider’s input in mind. Being a factory rider removes that headache entirely.

“Also, because we are riders, we have different riding styles,” Di Giannantonio explained.

“So, sometimes a piece that goes perfectly for me can go wrong for another one. So, being in a factory team, with factory support, they can build the bike for me, how I ride, and I don’t have to maximise the pieces that are made for someone else.

“Also, in this moment in MotoGP where everything changes, with new tyres, new bikes, new everything, I think it’s the best decision that I can take.”