Fabio Di Giannantonio Calls Pirelli Test Unfair

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Fabio Di Giannantonio believes there are unfair elements surrounding the Brno test of MotoGP’s 850cc prototypes and new Pirelli tyres because not every rider has been given an opportunity to provide feedback. The VR46 Racing Team rider has not been included in Ducati’s programme for Monday after the Czech Grand Prix, when manufacturers will begin collecting direct race-rider data ahead of the 2027 regulation change.

The Brno test will provide many current riders with their first official opportunity to sample the 850cc prototypes and understand the tyres that will replace Michelin next season. Manufacturers have nevertheless restricted access for riders expected to leave their projects at the end of 2026. Di Giannantonio and Fabio Quartararo are among those not scheduled to participate because their current employers are unwilling to expose information about their 2027 machinery to riders who may join rival manufacturers.

Di Giannantonio does not believe missing one test day automatically creates a decisive performance disadvantage. His previous experience has shown that a rider can still adapt quickly after losing testing mileage. His greater concern is that the initial tyre-development direction could be shaped by a limited group of riders with particular riding styles, while the characteristics and requirements of those excluded are not considered during the first phase.

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“The thing that I think is not really fair somehow is that some riders can already give comments to Pirelli, and maybe those riders have a completely different kind of riding style from you. So Pirelli cannot hear all the comments from all the riders,” Di Giannantonio said ahead of the Czech Grand Prix.

Different riding styles can create substantially different tyre requirements. A rider who relies on heavy braking may demand greater stability from the front construction, while a rider carrying more corner speed may be more sensitive to carcass flexibility and grip at high lean angles. Feedback concerning rear traction, tyre warm-up, degradation and response during direction changes can also vary significantly. If the initial data comes from only a restricted group, the resulting specification could naturally favour certain techniques.

Di Giannantonio also believes the imbalance could influence motorcycle development. Riders participating at Brno will provide information on the relationship between the Pirelli tyres, 850cc chassis, electronic controls and power delivery. Manufacturers can use that data to establish geometry, weight distribution, engine-braking settings and overall balance earlier. Riders changing teams for 2027 may not be able to influence their future projects until after several fundamental technical decisions have already been made.

Within his current Ducati position, Di Giannantonio accepts that using Marc Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer remains beneficial while he continues to race a Desmosedici. Their feedback will enter Ducati’s technical database and could help every rider using the Italian manufacturer’s machinery. That immediate benefit, however, does not remove the longer-term concern for riders who will compete with another manufacturer next season.

“I’m wearing Ducati, so if Marc and Aldeguer ride the bike, for me as a Ducati rider now it is perfect. But for the future, all the other riders do not know. I think it is not fair for every manufacturer, every rider and also for Pirelli,” he said. Brno therefore represents more than MotoGP’s first major race-rider test of the 850cc era. It has also opened a debate over whether riders should receive more equal access when their feedback can influence tyres used by the entire grid. The information gathered on Monday will begin shaping the adaptation process before the next stage of 2027 testing.