MotoGP | Diggia: the star born from two great talent pools

Those born in the 90s will surely remember the animated film Herculesin which the young boy with great strength finally managed to find his place in the world thanks to his talent, accompanied by determination and hard work. Greek mythology (with some poetic license worthy of the best Disney classics) reflects reality more than you might imagine, because the hero’s adventures and the happy ending of a story are found, very often, inside the MotoGP paddock.

We could name names, because Fabio Di Giannantonio immediately comes to mind, the rider who has perhaps changed the most in one year. Or at least, the perception the world has of him has changed. The Roman rider has always been a warrior and has never given up or given up even when everyone thought he was done for: a year ago he was perhaps the rider who least satisfied Ducati’s desires and his presence in the Gresini team had been strongly questioned by the rumors that Marc Marquez was ready to join Ducati.

What initially seemed to be just an unfounded rumour, had found truth to the point of leaving Say on foot. But it was precisely the vicissitude, the search for a happy ending, that brought out what the hero always knew he had inside, but struggled to bring out. Here is the victory in Qatar, the explosion finally of that talent that was hidden to many, but not to him.

“I can do it”

Valencia, the last act of the 2023 season. Right there, Di Giannantonio saw a new era begin, that of Valentino Rossi. “From zero to hero”, sing the muses in the original English version of the animated film. “From zero to hero”, from being left without a saddle to being a market man in less than a year. A year of hard work, of a lot of determination, which led to a clear change. Say just a few days ago he made official a further step forward, because next year he will have the updated model, the only Desmosedici GP25 in addition to the one ridden by the two official riders, Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.

The Roman driver appears very different from the one we knew just a year ago, if we read the results of 2023 and compare them with those of this year. But Hercules did not grow up alone, he was formed with his “wise satyr” Philoctetes … And, for every self-respecting hero, there is always a sidekick who sees a star in him. ForSaythe first “Filottete” was Fausto Gresini. With the Faenza structure, he debuted in Moto3, starting to make himself known and making space in the world championship. The paths of the Roman rider and the Faenza team separated to meet again in MotoGP.

“Fausto knew how to read the riders, now Gresini follows in his wake,” Michele Masini, who now holds the reins of Gresini Racing in the premier class, told Motorsport.com, but he underlines how Fausto’s foresight has made his structure a breeding ground for talent over time.

“How can I prove that I’m a hero if no one gives me the chance?”

Here is the opportunity. Or rather, better to say “here they are”. VR46 is Valentino Rossi’s Academy that has brought out a large group of talented riders. Just think of Pecco Bagnaia, welcomed under the Doctor’s wing several years ago, who had seen in him that light that transformed into three world titles, one in Moto2 and two consecutive in MotoGP. And yet, the most famous Italian academy of riders in the world is not the only one that knows how to capture the spark in the eyes of the very young.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46, Alessio Salucci, Team Director VR46

Photo by: Media VR46

Together with VR46 there is Gresini, which today boasts among its ranks Marc Marquez, the rider with the most experience and with the highest number of titles in MotoGP. But, before all this, Gresini Racing worked under the watchful eye of Fausto, who was able to see beyond everything: not only Di Giannantonio, it is enough to also mention Enea Bastianini, one of the most appreciated riders in the premier class, and Jorge Martin, great rival of Bagnaia and current vice-champion.

So different, but also so similar: VR46 and Gresini have brought some of the most famous names in the scene to MotoGP, but there is one that unites the two academies more than anyone else. Fabio Di Giannantonio. He began to take his first steps at Gresini and has never hidden his gratitude towards the person (and those) who brought him to the World Championship, giving him the opportunity to let the light he had inside shine.

In 2024 there was an important passing of the baton, after having seen the explosion of talent, the VR46 team was responsible for supporting Say in his climb to success. And the future is yet to be written… Because “a hero is not measured by the strength of his muscles, but by the strength of his heart”.