Diggia and VR46 headed for a split: Valentino Rossi prepares Plan B

Fabio Di Giannantonio is racing his third MotoGP season in VR46 colors, but it could be his last. Thanks to an excellent start to the championship, the Roman rider has become highly sought after on the market. Several offers are on the table that could push him out of Valentino Rossi’s box.

Despite the absolute silence on the MotoGP rider market, negotiations are ongoing to land the final moves. Ducati has chosen the duo Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta for the next two years; now it’s up to the satellite teams. For now, there’s only one certainty for the Tavullia squad in 2026: Fermin Aldeguer. He will be the first non-Italian rider to wear VR46 colors, with a full-factory Desmosedici at his disposal and a direct contract with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.

With the first piece in place, Valentino Rossi’s team wants to lock down next season’s rider line-up as soon as possible. The priority is to secure Di Giannantonio, despite the market sirens. “I remember that two years ago, when we signed him, there wasn’t much interest in him. We believed in him and now he’s a highly sought-after asset, which is fantastic,” Alessio Salucci told Motorsport.com. KTM is interested in him and would like to line him up alongside new signing Alex Marquez. But that complicates the situation for the VR46 team, which needs a top-caliber rider for the next MotoGP season.

The Tavullia higher-ups are trying to meet the Roman rider’s financial and other demands. But against an offer from a factory team, it will be difficult to keep “Diggia.” So his departure now seems likely. “Anything is possible. We have plans B, C, and D. As I said, ‘Diggia’ is our priority and I’d be disappointed if we had to resort to plan B, but in this sport you always need alternatives,” the team director added.

What are the alternatives? The first name is Luca Marini, whose future with Honda is currently uncertain. Valentino Rossi’s brother would have an open door in the team should he no longer fit into the Japanese giant’s plans. Much will depend on the fate of the Tech3 team, which is being strongly courted by HRC. If it were to leave KTM, further opportunities would open up for Luca; otherwise, his seat in the factory box would be in the balance.

Other alternatives include keeping Franco Morbidelli, who has had some lackluster seasons and could even leave the Top Class. Alternatively, there’s the name of Nicolò Bulega, who intends to leave Superbike as a champion to make the big leap to MotoGP. Bulega is a solution much appreciated by Ducati: it would provide continuity to the project, and he’s also the rider who will test the Desmosedici 850 and Pirelli tires in the coming months—an experience base that could prove invaluable. In the coming weeks, everything will be put in black and white; meanwhile, VR46 is preparing to announce the arrival of the Spanish talent Aldeguer. “He’s a top rider. He’s already won (a MotoGP race), he’s young and has a lot of qualities. He’s not with us yet, but I hope we can finalize the deal in the next two weeks. We really want him,” Salucci concluded.