Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Di Giannantonio knew that his value at Ducati would fall in 2027 with the arrivals of Pedro Acosta and Fermin Aldeguer. It led him to finalise his deal with KTM.
The VR46 rider was attracting attention from multiple teams in the MotoGP rider market for 2027. Di Giannantonio has enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 season, currently sitting third in the standings behind the Aprilias.
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The Italian is currently receiving factory support from Ducati at VR46, riding the GP26. That would likely have been the case in 2027, but he has wanted to be a full-on factory rider.
Subsequently, Di Giannantonio signed for KTM in 2027, partnering with Gresini’s Alex Marquez. Despite the factory support from Ducati, his ‘prominence’ within the manufacturer would take a hit next year.
Pedro Acosta and Fermin Aldeguer would make Fabio Di Giannantonio lose ‘prominence’ at Ducati in 2027
According to MARCA, news broke over the French GP weekend that Di Giannantonio would make the switch to KTM. His decision came following Ducati’s signings for 2027.
Acosta will partner with Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati team next year. Being tipped as a future star in MotoGP, the Spaniard would naturally have the Borgo Panigale outfit’s full attention.
With Fabio Di Giannantonio moving to KTM, who should Valentino Rossi target?
Fermin Aldeguer is already filling one of the seats
VR46 are second-in-command at Ducati, and thus would have given Diggia the support that they have been giving him since 2025.
However, VR46 have signed Aldeguer next year from Gresini, with the 21-year-old again being tipped as a serious talent for the future. Subsequently, it was reported that Aldeguer would receive factory support over his teammate in 2027.
As per the report, Di Giannantonio realised that he would ‘lose prominence’ at Ducati with his structure in place, and thus made contact with KTM to secure a factory ride in 2027.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Di Giannantonio from net worth to AS Roma
Who could replace Fabio Di Giannantonio at VR46 in 2027?
With Di Giannantonio gone, VR46 now need to find a replacement and get Fermin Aldeguer’s teammate tied down for 2027.
Uccio Salucci named four options for VR46 in 2027, which included Franco Morbidelli, but the Italian is facing leaving MotoGP, with his results in 2026 currently being poor.
Luca Marini is being linked with a return as he faces an exit from Honda, while Moto2 rider Celestino Vietti is also being mentioned. Di Giannantonio’s exit has also boosted Nicolo Bulega’s chances of landing a MotoGP seat.
He is considered the main option for the team, but Valentino Rossi could block Bulega from joining VR46 and hand his half-brother, Marini, a safety net for 2027.
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