Ducati rider “lives good being the underwolf” in 2026 MotoGP title battle

VR46 Ducati MotoGP rider Fabio Di Giannantonio says he “lives good” as what he describes as the championship’s “underwolf” in 2026.

The Italian currently sits fourth in the MotoGP standings after a difficult Aragon weekend, which has seen him slip 48 points back from championship leader Jorge Martin.

But Fabio Di Giannantonio spent much of the 2026 season as Ducati’s leading rider, and scored a victory at the Catalan Grand Prix despite carrying a hand injury after being involved in the terrifying Alex Marquez incident.

Speaking with Crash.net in an exclusive interview last month at Silverstone, he says he has what it takes to be a champion in MotoGP.

Asked if he feels like he is undervalued in MotoGP, however, he replied: “I think that I have a really great talent; I have really good speed.

“If not, I wouldn’t have achieved what I’ve achieved, like the wins and the podiums.

“But also, it’s difficult for me to speak about me and say I’m a top rider, because when I think about top riders, they are riders who won championships.

“And I still don’t have this in the pocket, unfortunately. I’ve been close in Moto3. Not really in Moto2.

“And now in MotoGP we are working for this. I think that I have the potential to make it, but still I have to make it.

“So, it’s good. I live good being the ‘underwolf’ - not the underdog.

“Sometimes it makes me be in a position that the people enjoy, that the underdog goes fast and maybe beats someone else.

“It’s good [to have] the [high] opinion of the people, but it doesn’t change much for me - I just try to do my maximum.”

Di Giannantonio’s form has earned him a factory KTM deal for next season, coming just three years after he faced losing his place on the grid.

After a difficult debut in 2022 with Gresini, Di Giannantonio didn’t come into form until late in the 2023 season, where he scored a maiden victory in Qatar.

By now, though, his place at Gresini had already been taken by Marc Marquez.

VR46 offered him a lifeline after Luca Marini moved to Honda, with his form in 2024 netting him and the team official factory support from Ducati.

Asked if his his example is something teams need to follow more in the paddock and give young riders more time to develop, he said: “For sure. I think there is not so much studying on how a rider achieves or doesn’t achieve a result.

“Or how a rider works or doesn’t work in a garage, or how a rider really rides the bike.

“I think we can improve a lot on the decisions of the riders, but also in this moment of MotoGP where the level is super, super high, it takes time.

“Years ago, there were different bikes. There were the bikes for winning, the bikes to be in the midfield, and the bikes to be last.

“The fifth-place rider was arriving 30 seconds from first.

“Now, if you arrive 30s from first, you are last. So, we have the maximum level ever in MotoGP.

“So, the last years, the guy you think is really bad - that guy is amazing.

“He’s riding the bike incredibly fast and maybe can win whatever championship he does in a different category.

“So, it really takes time to be that good, and to arrive at that level, you need to work a lot in the garage; you need to have the best people to work with to achieve that level of affinity.

“With the bike, too. So, it takes time.”