Let's talk MotoGP: Is Di Giannantonio one of the best?

It’s time to take stock. Like every year for three years, Let's talk MotoGP is embarking on a fairly important undertaking: taking stock of each driver at the end of the 2024 season, today, Fabio Di Giannantonio's turn. For a good part of the winter, we will go back through the rankings in reverse, to the point of talking in detail about the world champion's campaign. Are you ready? Here we go!

Yesterday, we returned to the case ofAleix Espargaro; click here to find the corresponding article.

No progress, but…

I keep repeating it, but it is essential to understand it for those who are new to this current series: no rider has surprised me positively this season in MotoGP. Now, as I already said previously, if I had to elect a few good students, Fabio Di Giannantonio would be part of it.

For once, I'm going to start with the negative about him, and that's precisely why I can't consider him a good surprise. Even if he was discovering the VR46 environment, I would say that his season was not as good as the previous one, which itself really boiled down to a few remarkable Grands Prix at the end. Unlike 2023,
he did not get on the podium once, and even less won. Yes, the GP22 performed better than the GP23 compared to the most recent Ducati vintage, but we knew it was capable of being in these positions after the end of the 2023 season. Unfortunately, it did not do better. So, it is not a real progression, but a confirmation.

That's all I have to say negatively about it, and it's meager. For the rest, I found him convincing, passionate, ambitious, realistic, although more discreet. You should know that I really like this pilot. His story hit me hard at the end of the 2023 season. He really had to “drive to survive” to use the now well-known expression.

Bezzecchi in the rearview mirror

Certainly, his position in the general classification is overall average (10th with 165 points), but what is incredible is that he is ahead of his teammate Marco Bezzecchi in the general ranking… even though he competed in three fewer races! If, now, the “Bez” has fallen a little into disuse, he was a real threat as he entered 2024, one of the most impressive outsiders in recent years. “Diggia”, without any pretension, immediately outclassed him, stringing together solid rounds, including, in particular, this series of eight consecutive top 10s in the first eight Grands Prix.

In terms of results, he never did better than fourth (but three times on Sunday anyway!), including this poetic performance in the Thai rain, while he was injured. Besides, he didn't fall much – only 13 times in total –, which makes him a reliable man, with a lot of confidence. We could simply criticize him for average qualifications given his great talent, but this illness, which affects other more than respectable drivers – Binder and Oliveira in the lead – is not so serious for him. We know he's fast, and he was just starting to get the hang of his GP23 when he was injured in Austria.

This event penalized him greatly, because his affected shoulder handicapped him considerably for the remainder of the season, which he played, in fact, until the antepenultimate Grand Prix. Thus, at Phillip Island, he couldn't snuggle into his bubblewhich turned out to be very uncomfortable, not to mention the loss of top speed. Unlike Miguel Oliveira and Alex Rins, Di Giannantonio has rarely been injured in his career, and I don't believe this fall is a bad omen regarding his health. He managed it perfectly, choosing not to race the end of the championship in order to recover as best as possible this winter.

An exemplary mentality

I have already had the opportunity to express it; In my opinion,
Fabio Di Giannantonio is an exemplary driverwho works in the right direction, does not complain, but who remains endowed with a marked personality on the bike. A bit like Bagnaia, he is discreet when the helmet comes off, but a spectacular assassin on the handlebars. I like these profiles, and I like Di Giannantonio's mentality even more. Mid-season, he showed up for the GP25 for the following yearclaiming that he too dreamed of victories, and why not a world title. He won it, and will definitely be one to watch in a few months. I like those who assume responsibility, those who are sure of themselves, even a bit arrogant; although it doesn't exactly match Di Giannantonio's description.

This foolproof mentality, the relevance of which we understood at the end of 2023, allowed him to fight like hell while being diminished. Behind Marc Marquez, he was, undeniably I believe, the best driver on GP23 and I sincerely think thathe could have won if not for that damn injury.

Conclusion

How happy I am to warmly congratulate a pilot of this stature! Di Giannantonio, even if he didn't do anything incredible or truly surprising, was solid, consistent in his performance, and never gave up. A true warrior who fully deserves the only unofficial Desmosedici GP25 next year, without a doubt.

I'm curious what you thought of Fabio Di Giannantonio in 2024, so, tell me in comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport