FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO CRITICISES 2027 SEPANG SHAKEDOWN RESTRICTIONS FOR NEW BIKE TIME

MotoGP’s upcoming “shakedown” test at Sepang next February will again be restricted to rookies and test riders, a policy that has left some current riders unconvinced—especially those who will be switching manufacturers for the 2027 season.

The 2027 rules package brings major technical change: the series will move from 1,000cc engines to 850cc power units, ride-height devices will be banned, and Pirelli will replace Michelin as the official tyre supplier. For riders who are also changing brands, the learning curve is expected to be even steeper because they will have less time on the new combination of bike and tyres before the first race.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, who is set to leave VR46 Ducati for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, said he is unhappy with how the limited track time will be distributed. He pointed out that riders changing teams and tyres will have only four days to understand the new machinery ahead of the season opener, while the Sepang shakedown itself will remain closed to non-rookies.

“For sure, what's happening is not a thing that I'm happy with, because for sure we will have just four days to understand the new bike – on my case, new team, new tires,” Di Giannantonio said.

He also questioned whether four days can realistically be enough to arrive at the first race with everything dialled in. While he acknowledged that Fabio Quartararo had suggested the situation might be acceptable, Di Giannantonio argued that success in such a short window depends on being “really lucky.”

“I know that Fabio Quartararo said, for example, for him it would be alright to have only four days on the bike. But honestly, I think you have to be really lucky that in four days you will find the perfect setup, perfect balance, perfect everything to be able to win the first race,” he said.

Di Giannantonio further highlighted that the experience gap could widen for some riders. He noted that Nicolo Bulega—who will be eligible for the Sepang shakedown as a rookie—has the most relevant background on the 2027 direction. According to Di Giannantonio, Bulega not only has Pirelli experience from WorldSBK but has also been involved in Ducati’s 850cc testing programme throughout 2026.

“For sure, at the moment, Bulega is the guy with the most experience on the new bike,” Di Giannantonio said. “Now they will arrive more riders trying the new bike, so they will have some more advantages too.”

From his perspective, that creates an uneven starting point. “But, on my side, for sure, I would like to have more time to be as ready as I can for the first race. So, at the moment, I think the things are not going quite equally for everybody,” he added.

The article also referenced how the experience deficit is not limited to riders who have never tried the new 850cc direction. Marc Marquez, for example, is already set to ride the 850cc Ducati again at the Red Bull Ring test after having done so in Brno, but Di Giannantonio’s concern is broader: the shakedown restriction means most riders who are changing manufacturers will not sample the new 850cc/Pirelli package until later in the calendar.

In fact, the reporting notes that with the shakedown reserved for rookies and test riders, most riders who switch brands will not taste the 850cc machinery with Pirelli tyres until the Valencia test in early December. That leaves only four days of official testing in 2027 before the first race in early March.

Di Giannantonio said there is little riders can do to change the situation, describing the lack of a unified rider voice and the fact that some riders may not want the rules altered.

“It’s really difficult, because at the moment, as always, we don't have a rider association or something,” he said. “But also, at the moment, the riders that could be part of the rider association can be against the riders [who want the change].”

He argued that MotoGP itself is the only party able to adjust how much time riders get before the opening round. “It's a tough situation at the moment, and I think that [there’s] not much the parties involved can do, apart from MotoGP itself that can decide how much time a rider can have before the first race,” Di Giannantonio said.

Honda HRC rider Luca Marini, who is also changing manufacturer for 2027—moving to Red Bull KTM Tech3—took a different tone. He said the shakedown rule is what it is and that riders must adapt to the two-day workload.

“The [shakedown] rule at the moment is like this [only rookies and test riders], so we need to adapt and we need to do our best,” Marini said. “We are MotoGP riders and in two days we need to do all the job.”

He specifically pointed to the need to understand tyres and the added complexity for riders switching manufacturers. “Especially understand well the tyres, and also the new bike for the guys that change manufacturers like me, like Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia, moving from Ducati to Aprilia], will be a little bit more tricky, more difficult. But we are ready for this, no problem.”