VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio’s life outside of MotoGP from net worth to AS Roma

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Fabio Di Giannantonio is one of the latest Italian stars to hit MotoGP, so get to know the VR46 Racing Team rider with MotoGP News as we look into his life outside of the grid.

A career in motorsport was always likely for Di Giannantonio as racing is in his blood, with his father being a former amateur racer. Diggia and his mother would often attend his dad’s races as a kid, giving a foundation for Di Giannantonio to catch the motorsport bug and start to dream.

Joining the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2014 then truly marked the start of his route to the premier class. Di Giannantonio would go on to graduate into Moto3 at the 2015 season-finale, step up to Moto2 in 2019 and debut in MotoGP in 2022 with Gresini vital for his rise.

VR46 Racing Team rider Fabio Di Giannantonio won his first motorcycle title in 2008

His route to MotoGP started back in 2008 for Di Giannantonio when the Italian won his first domestic and European titles in the respective Mini-Moto Junior ZPF championships. Diggia even doubled down by retaining his European Mini-Moto Junior ZPF Championship in 2009.

A step up to the Italian MiniGP 50 class also followed in 2010 as Di Giannantonio also won a Honda MiniGP title in the HIRP championship. He regularly continued to perform admirably in the junior categories, including Diggia securing the Italian PreGP Championship title in 2012.

It was also in 2012 at the CIV round at Vallelunga that Di Giannantonio felt in total symbiosis with his bike and the track for the whole weekend for the first time en route to breaking the track record by winning by eight seconds. Vallelunga was also his favourite circuit as a youth.

Edging onto the cusp of the world championship stage by racing in the Red Bull Rookies Cup did not deliver immediate results for Di Giannantonio, though. After starting his first year in the championship learning a lot, Diggia turned a corner with P2 in the second race at Brno.

Ending his first term in the Rookies Cup with two podiums in 14 races gave Di Giannantonio a platform to build on in 2015, though, and the Italian came second in the standings. It was even in 2015 that Diggia got his first Rookies Cup wins at the Sachsenring, Brno and Aragon.

Fabio Di Giannantonio won Moto2 Rookie of the Year honours in 2019

Race wins again proved scarce during Di Giannantonio’s rise up through Moto3, Moto2 and into MotoGP, though. Through three complete seasons in the lightweight class, Diggia only enjoyed two wins. Spending three full seasons in Moto2 also yielded just one single victory.

Podiums proved far more frequent especially in Moto3 with 14 – including Di Giannantonio scoring his maiden rostrum in just his seventh lightweight class race at the 2016 Grand Prix of Italy in P2 at Mugello. Diggia’s first Moto2 podium was in his 10th entry with P2 at Brno.

Di Giannantonio joined Speed Up Racing for his Moto2 debut in 2019, and often impressed to receive Rookie of the Year honours with P9 in the riders’ standings. He only failed to take points in five races and retired in four of those to claim an average finishing position of P9.8.

Fabio Di Giannantonio beat 2023 champion Francesco Bagnaia to win his first MotoGP race

Gresini often aided Di Giannantonio’s rise, as well, after running him in Moto3 from 2015-18 and Moto2 in 2021. It was also with Gresini that Diggia made his MotoGP debut in the 2022 Grand Prix of Qatar, but Di Giannantonio would not score points until round seven in France.

It was even in his penultimate race with Gresini at the 2023 Grand Prix of Qatar that Diggia scored his maiden premier class race win. Di Giannantonio lost his ride after Gresini signed Marc Marquez for the 2024 season but showed his worth by holding off Francesco Bagnaia.

Overtaking the 2023 champion-elect in the closing stages and denying Bagnaia a route back through even convinced VR46 Racing Team to sign Di Giannantonio for the 2024 season. He also showed great consistency to get a factory Ducati contract and bike for 2025 with VR46.

So, with that in mind, MotoGP News has taken a deep dive into everything that you need to know about Di Giannantonio and what the VR46 rider’s life outside of the paddock is like…

Who is VR46 Racing Team rider Fabio Di Giannantonio?

Fabio Di Giannantonio is an Italian motorcycle racer, who is currently competing in MotoGP with VR46 Racing Team since the 2024 season and debuted in the premier class with Gresini in 2022. Di Giannantonio is often known as Diggia as an abbreviation of the rider’s full name.

How old is Fabio Di Giannantonio? Where was he born and what is his nationality?

Fabio Di Giannantonio is 27 years old and the MotoGP rider was born on 10 October 1998.

Fabio Di Giannantonio’s nationality is Italian and he was also born in the capital city of Italy, Rome. Diggia is a proud Roman citizen and is a passionate AS Roma football club supporter.

How tall is Fabio Di Giannantonio and how much does he weigh?

Fabio Di Giannantonio is one of the taller MotoGP riders in 2025, measuring 1.77m (5ft 8in) tall. Only five riders are taller, and the Italian is the same height as Fabio Quartararo.

Di Giannantonio is the second lightest rider in 2025, weighing 62kg (9st 10lbs), with only Ai Ogura weighing less at 60kg (9st 6lbs).

Why Fabio Di Giannantonio chose 49 as his permanent MotoGP race number

Fabio Di Giannantonio took the No49 plate as his permanent race number when graduating into MotoGP with Gresini in the 2022 season as the Italian could not pick his favourite plate, which is No21, as fellow Rome native Franco Morbidelli has used it since his debut in 2018.

The No21 plate held special connotations for Di Giannantonio as his idol, Troy Bayliss, ran it. April 21 is even the birthday of Rome, so Diggia used the No21 plate in Moto3 from 2017 to 2018 and in Moto2 from 2019 to 2021. But he changed to No49 as no rider had yet used it.

“I’ve always used the 21 but, this year, I can’t because Morbidelli has it,” Di Giannantonio said ahead of his MotoGP debut. “So, I had to make a big change. I chose the 49 after a little research. I think the 49 was never used in MotoGP.

“So, I will try to make history, not only by using this number but by trying to put it at the very top. So, it will be a huge change for me with the move to MotoGP.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio helmet

Fabio Di Giannantonio’s MotoGP helmet design often features a vibrant design and regularly reflects his affection for Rome and AS Roma with the inclusion of a wolf aspect. The wolf has also regularly been a main part of Diggia’s brand throughout his world championship career.

How good is Fabio Di Giannantonio? Who has praised the MotoGP rider?

Fabio Di Giannantonio is not often ranked among the outright best riders in MotoGP. Yet his consistency and smooth riding style during at the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone saw the Italian merit comparisons with the seven-time premier class champion, Valentino Rossi.

His difficulties extracting the maximum from a MotoGP bike has often held Di Giannantonio back. The Rome native has also seldom scored big results on the world championship stage, having won just two of his 55 race entries in Moto3 and one of his 52 race entries in Moto2.

Di Giannantonio has not always had the bike underneath him to showcase what the Italian is capable of in MotoGP. But Ducati Corse general manager Luigi Dall’Igna gave Diggia a vote of confidence in August 2024 as the Bologna Bullets signed him to a factory rider contract.

Dall’Igna said: “We are happy to have Fabio Di Giannantonio among our Ducati riders for the next two years. Diggia has always shown great confidence in our project, and his dedication and talent have led him to grow steadily in MotoGP.

“We are confident that together with VR46 Racing Team and having an official Desmosedici GP, he will have even more opportunities to bring out his full potential.”

Diggia also received praise from MotoGP rival Francesco Bagnaia after beating the Italian to win the 2023 Grand Prix of Qatar for Di Giannantonio’s maiden victory in the premier class. Bagnaia called Di Giannantonio ‘incredible’ after the race at the Lusail International Circuit.

Does Fabio Di Giannantonio have a girlfriend?

Fabio Di Giannantonio is dating Jai Carol, who is part of the band Jas and Jay, which is a dance/electronic music group.

Despite the band having 321k followers on Instagram, Carol chooses to keep her personal life private.

Fabio Di Giannantonio’s net worth

According to online estimates, the net worth of Fabio Di Giannantonio is only around £800k having been amongst the lowest-earning riders on the MotoGP grid since his debut in 2022.

Fabio Di Giannantonio’s Grand Prix career racing stats

As of the end of the 2024 season, Fabio Di Giannantonio is yet to win a MotoGP riders’ title or a title in any world championship. His career-best finish in any world championship came in the 2018 Moto3 season when Di Giannantonio came second to Jorge Martin by 42 points.