Minimum MotoGP testing plea amid ‘experts will be rookies’ warning
Fabio di Giannantonio wants MotoGP to ensure a minimum amount of 850/Pirelli mileage ahead of the 2027 season, warning that experienced riders could effectively become rookies again.
Fabio di Giannantonio believes all MotoGP riders should be guaranteed a minimum amount of testing on the new 850cc machines and Pirelli tyres before the 2027 season.
With manufacturers heavily favouring retained riders for the two 850cc/Pirelli tests held so far, di Giannantonio, who is switching from VR46 Ducati to Red Bull KTM, is among nine riders yet to sample next year's tyres.
The others are Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati to Aprilia), Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha to Honda), Alex Marquez (Gresini to KTM), Jorge Martin (Aprilia to Yamaha), Ai Ogura (Trackhouse to Yamaha), Enea Bastianini (Tech3 to Trackhouse) and Honda rookies David Alonso and Dani Holgado.
Those nine will have to wait until the Valencia post-season test on 1 December, followed by a reduced pre-season programme of just four days of official testing at Sepang and Buriram - when teams and riders will be crossing their fingers for dry weather.
However, the five rookies, Nicolo Bulega, Izan Guevara, Senna Agius, plus Alonso and Holgado, will also be eligible for the two-day Sepang Shakedown on 29-30 January.
The Shakedown is normally open to existing race riders competing for manufacturers in concession rank D. However, with all five manufacturers starting the 2027 season in rank B, only rookies and test riders will be allowed next year.
Current KTM rider Bastianini has already called for those yet to try the 850cc bikes and Pirelli tyres to be allowed to join the Shakedown, a view shared by di Giannantonio.
The Italian believes that, given the scale of the technical changes and differing levels of experience with Pirelli tyres, such a move would be fairer for everyone.
“The expert riders will not be experts at all”
“It would be super fair,” di Giannantonio said of opening up the Shakedown to those changing teams.
“I don't know [if it’ll happen] but it's something that I wish for because I think it can be really fair.
“Because next year is not just a small change; it's a completely new class.
“So the expert riders will not be experts at all. Many of us, like me, would maybe be like one of the rookies because I will have fewer days [with Pirelli tyres] compared to all the others.
“So, I wish that they work hard to make everything fair for the first race.
“It's also about safety, honestly, about knowing the tyres.
“Also if a bike has a problem and you cannot use it for one day [of testing] you don't know the bike, and you don't know the reliability of some pieces of the bike.
“For every manufacturer, it’s like this.
"So I think for safety reasons, we should arrive with a minimum kilometres for everybody and a maximum too.”
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.
