Fabio Di Giannantonio believes he is proving to be a MotoGP-standard rider after losing his Gresini Racing seat to Marc Marquez.
The satellite Ducati squad held out on filling its second seat in the expectation that wantaway Marquez could extricate himself from the final year of his Honda contract.
With the six-time premier class champion eventually granted a release earlier this month, Gresini got its man and the only seat which had been still available in 2024 was filled.
Of course, with no #93 at Repsol Honda, a berth at that team has now opened up, and that could trigger another domino effect in the MotoGP paddock.
It is a situation which has created hope for Di Giannantonio, who is 14th in the championship but scored his best result of the season to date last time out when he finished fourth in the Race (and sixth in the Sprint) at Mandalika.
“My goal is to stay,” he said of his MotoGP future ahead of this weekend’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
“I am a MotoGP rider. I am proving to myself and everyone that I am fast enough to be here.
“It seems there are chances. My crew is doing a good job [so] let’s see what happens; I just focus on the track.”
Asked where those ‘chances’ are, the Italian hinted that Honda might prise an already contracted rider away from another team.
“Honda has a seat,” he noted.
“My goal is to stay; why not take the seat at Honda?
“But it seems there are more chances and when it’s clear, we will decide what is best for me and my future.”
Di Giannantonio confirmed that he is also considering the likes of the Superbike World Championship, but is intent on remaining in the premier class of grand prix motorcycle racing.
“My manager has B, C, D plans,” he remarked.
“But the goal is to stay. If we can’t stay here, then we will consider other options.”
A number of other not unlikely candidates have ruled themselves out of the running for the factory Honda seat, explicitly or implicitly.
Johann Zarco’s name was floated as a possible replacement given he is already on the move to satellite team LCR in 2024, but has indicated now that he will be sticking with his original plan.
“I really thought I would be the natural candidate, but there are many other reasons that it didn’t turn out naturally,” said the Frenchman.
“It’s not bright to be in the factory team just because the seat is free. I have to be there because they wanted me.
“At the moment Marc said ‘no’, I expected much more enthusiasm from Honda and the factory team to push for this.”
Aprilia Racing’s Maverick Viñales was more definitive when he spoke on the eve of practice at Phillip Island.
“I said it many times, my compromise is 100 percent with Aprilia,” he remarked.
“We have five races, we are focused, I have a contract next year and I’m fully committed to that.”
RNF rider Miguel Oliveira has publicly contradicted comments from his team boss Razlan Razali and Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola that he does not have an out clause in his contract which could enable him to take up a Honda offer.
However, Oliveira also admitted at Phillip Island that there has been no formal offer yet.
“Nothing else to add on my side,” reported the Portuguese rider.
“If that [an offer] comes, I will have more to say.”
MotoGP Practice at Phillip Island starts at 15:00 local time/AEDT.
