ANDREA DOVIZIOSO PRAISES FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO’S “INSANE” 2026 FORM FOR DUCATI

Andrea Dovizioso believes Fabio Di Giannantonio has been the most surprising Ducati performer of the 2026 season, effectively “throwing off” his teammates with results that no one, in his view, expected.

Dovizioso pointed to a difficult year for Ducati overall, with multiple riders dealing with setbacks and a bike that he says is no longer the class of the field. He referenced Franco Morbidelli’s struggles on the GP25, while Fermin Aldeguer and Alex Marquez have been sidelined by serious injuries. He also noted that Francesco Bagnaia has been “lost on the bike again,” and that Marc Marquez is still recovering from the arm injury he suffered last season.

Even with those challenges, Dovizioso said Di Giannantonio has delivered an “insane” campaign. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former Ducati rider described how Di Giannantonio’s pace has disrupted the rest of the Ducati group: “Well, in my opinion, Diggia has had an amazing, insane season so far this year. I mean, he’s really thrown everyone else off their game, the polite riders.” Dovizioso added that the only rider Di Giannantonio hasn’t displaced is Marquez: “The only one he hasn’t thrown off his game is Marc, but I mean, Diggia this year has been absolutely fantastic. Period.”

He also stressed the difficulty of maintaining that level across a full season, saying, “Plus, managing to get through an entire season is complicated, it’s incredibly complicated.”

Di Giannantonio’s rise has come after a 2025 that saw him finish sixth overall with four podiums. In 2026, Dovizioso highlighted that Di Giannantonio has taken two pole positions and a win in Barcelona, helping Ducati fight against Aprilia early in the year. Although Marquez later moved ahead, Dovizioso still framed Di Giannantonio as the standout.

Heading into the next race at Misano, Di Giannantonio is 48 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin and remains in contention, though Dovizioso suggested Ducati’s priorities will likely shift toward Marquez’s title defence. He also indicated Ducati may need to manage upgrades carefully, potentially focusing resources on the factory seat and Marquez rather than spreading development across VR46 and Gresini.

With a move to KTM confirmed for 2027, Di Giannantonio will want to close 2026 strongly, but Dovizioso’s message was clear: the VR46 rider has already made a major impact on Ducati’s internal balance this year.