Fabio Di Giannantonio has voiced his frustration over MotoGP’s decision to keep its rookies-only policy for the 2027 Sepang Shakedown test, despite sweeping regulation changes. Next season, the championship will introduce 850cc engines, ban ride height devices, and switch to Pirelli tyres—a technical shift that will be especially challenging for riders switching manufacturers.
Di Giannantonio, who moves from VR46 Ducati to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, highlighted the experience gap this creates: “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,” he said. “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 pointed out that Nicolo Bulega—a rookie with Pirelli and Ducati 850cc experience—will enjoy a significant advantage, having both shakedown eligibility and extensive test mileage. By contrast, non-rookie riders changing teams, like Di Giannantonio and Luca Marini, won’t ride the new bikes and tyres until December’s Valencia test, with only four days of official pre-season testing before the opener.
“So, at the moment, I think things are not going quite equally for everybody,” Di Giannantonio said, lamenting the lack of a formal riders’ association to push for changes.
Luca Marini, also moving teams, took a pragmatic view: “We are MotoGP riders and in two days we need to do all the job… We are ready for this, no problem.”
As the 2027 season approaches, the debate over fair test access—and the challenge of adapting to radical new machinery—remains a hot topic in the MotoGP paddock.
