It's time for the season debrief. As every winter for the past two years, this column analyzes each rider's campaign in detail, from the lowest-ranked to the world champion. The aim is to provide a reasoned perspective on the performance of each of our heroes, so we can all discuss it together. Are you ready for this new installment, dedicated to Fabio Di Giannantonio, the oh-so-incomprehensible MotoGP rider? Let's go!
Yesterday's episode was dedicated to Fermin Aldeguer; you can find it by clicking here.
Hot and cold
It's strange to say, but I don't know whether to be disappointed or pleased with Fabio Di Giannantonio's 2025 campaign. His season is very complex to analyze, and I think we shouldn't just look at the numbers. But they still matter, so let's talk about them.
Diggia finished the year in sixth place overall, his best result to date. He didn't win , but unlike in 2024, he reached the podium several times—four times to be exact—not counting his five top-three finishes in the Sprint. On paper, it's a small success, because he did, in fact, improve. But it's more complicated than that.
The picture is a bit bleak, because honestly, I expected him to finish higher. And when I say higher, I mean much higher . In fact, I predicted he'd finish third overall, behind Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia. I imagined that the outsider who would emerge in 2025 would be him, not Alex Marquez. Clearly, I was wrong, even though I had good reasons to think so.
In that sense, I'm disappointed, not to say extremely disappointed. I saw him as a Grand Prix winner , someone who could give the factory Ducati riders a run for their money. And in the end, we had a decent outsider, with results that, ultimately, are barely better than Franco Morbidelli's, who is only 31 points behind after missing two races due to injury.
This paradox, with Di Giannantonio, is difficult to judge . He too had mitigating circumstances: he suffered a fairly serious injury during pre-season testing at Sepang and had a completely new bike compared to his teammate. At times, on the track, he was completely out of sorts, for no apparent reason. I saw him, in particular, this past weekend at Brno, where he only finished 16th , totally disoriented. He himself admitted to getting lost in the setup, so much so that towards the end, he essentially started from scratch.
On the other hand, I still managed to see glimpses of his genius. I'm not afraid to use words, and none define him better. When he's on form and everything is going his way, Fabio Di Giannantonio is unstoppable in a race . He has one of the best race rhythms in the world, is capable of prodigious comebacks, and, above all, has an extraordinary ability to eliminate rivals, better than that of Marc Marquez or Marco Bezzecchi.
I stand by it: he's the one who overtakes best on the grid, just ahead Fabio Quartararo and BagnaiaIndeed, what he did to the latter in the final laps of the Italian Grand Prix was sensational, and in my opinion, it was his best performance of the year. Fabio Di Giannantonio is a dream come true for me because he always finds a way to overtake cleanly, on the inside, but also on the outside when necessary. Positioning, braking, good decisions… he can do everything in a battle; it's a real pleasure to watch him in action. And this year, he has some memorable races under his belt, which completely prevent me from calling his season a failure.
Is it a matter of the driver or of MotoGP?
His season is also difficult to judge because he had a… unique motorcycle. Owning the only non-factory Ducati Desmosedici GP25, he perhaps didn't inherit the gift I had imagined . On numerous occasions, it cost him dearly, for example, when he could no longer find any feel for the bike. But, on the other hand, it surely helped him as well.
We'll never know the truth about this machine with its strange results, but in my humble opinion, the GP25 wasn't as well-designed as it seemed . Yes, I think the GP24 was better, and Marc Marquez, as he so often did at Honda – until he left – completely overcame its flaws to dominate it almost every weekend. The Bagnaia situation certainly helps me in this analysis, but certain moments in "Diggia's" year also lead me to this conclusion.
Conclusion
The moment of truth has arrived. You might be upset with me and say my opinion is biased because I love this driver, but I think he did well in 2025. I was wrong about my prediction, I admit, and he didn't live up to my expectations . However, I can't dismiss his efforts or downplay his on-track prowess, which, with equal equipment, was often far more impressive than Pecco Bagnaia's.
You have every right to be disappointed in him or to criticize his season negatively, because there are things to be said for it. That's just my interpretation of the situation, but I continue to believe in him because it seems to me that he truly has something special.
Am I mistaken about Fabio Di Giannantonio? Let me know in the comments!
As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial staff.
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
