It’s a common question in MotoGP: if one rider is winning on the same bike, why don’t the others simply use the same setup?
During the 2025 season, that question was often directed at Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio di Giannantonio, as both struggled to find consistency and front-end confidence on the Ducati GP25 that Marc Marquez dominated with.
Di Giannantonio explained that while copying a setup sounds logical, it doesn’t work that way in reality.
According to the VR46 rider, every racer has a different riding style, mindset, and way of extracting performance. While he studies other riders and looks to improve in areas where they are stronger, he says it’s impossible to fully replicate how another rider works or rides.
He added that even if two riders use the same setup on paper, the result on track can be completely different.
Di Giannantonio was clear about what would happen if he tried to mirror Marc Marquez exactly. He said that using Marc’s setup would almost certainly make him slower, not faster, because performance depends on what a rider asks from the bike, the feedback they need, and the level of trust they feel when pushing to the limit.
Rather than a simple adjustment, he described performance as a complex process involving many factors, not just setup changes or riding harder.
He also defended Bagnaia, stressing that struggles are not always down to the rider. Sometimes the issue is simply chasing the wrong direction in development. He insisted that Bagnaia has not lost his riding ability.
Bagnaia’s difficult season still included standout moments, such as a flawless weekend at Motegi and a sprint victory at Sepang, but he ultimately finished fifth in the championship.
For Di Giannantonio, the message is clear: success in MotoGP isn’t about copying another rider’s setup, even if that rider is Marc Marquez.
