Fabio Di Giannantonio on his move to KTM: “It’s the right moment”

VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio has been the most consistent Ducati rider so far in the 2026 MotoGP season. ‘Diggia’ feels very comfortable on the GP26. In the overall standings, he is third, 16 points behind, and the closest challenger to the Aprilia duo of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.

Has the world championship battle now come more into focus, and does he think the Sachsenring is a good opportunity for him to make up ground on the Aprilia riders? “We’re in a great phase – with a very good performance and fantastic pace. We’re battling with the best and I’m trying to be one of them,” said the Italian at the pre-race press conference at the Sachsenring on Thursday. “But we’re only halfway through the season and still have a very long way to go. We’re simply enjoying and celebrating every fantastic moment. We also try to analyse things when we don’t do a good job.”

Last year, Di Giannantonio finished fourth in the MotoGP Sprint on the tight circuit in Hohenstein-Ernstthal. He has never made it into the top three at the Sachsenring. That said, he did set the lap record in 2025.

The deal with the KTM factory team was officially announced on Monday this week. Di Giannantonio will be racing on an RC16 from 2027. Was this the toughest decision of his career so far? Why does he think now is the right time to take this step? “It certainly wasn’t easy. I’ve built a fantastic bond with some great people here (at VR46, ed.) – it’s like a family. So it’s very hard to bring to an end the brilliant time I’m currently having in the pits with these lads. It wasn’t easy, but I’m trying to think of myself. To go into the matter in more depth would take more time, but now isn’t the right time for that,” said the Roman and future KTM rider. “But I think that, at this moment, it’s the best solution for my future and my career. I’ll be 28 next year and have now been in MotoGP for five years. It’s the right time to seek a new challenge in a factory team.”

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10.07.2026 - 08:55