Valentino Rossi targets Italian rider for VR46 MotoGP seat

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With Fabio Di Giannantonio set to depart, VR46 appear to be focusing their search for his replacement on Italian riders to partner Fermin Aldeguer.

Over the weekend, news broke that Di Giannantonio will join KTM in 2027, reuniting with his former Gresini teammate Alex Marquez. It’s a move that leaves an opening alongside Aldeguer at VR46, and Rossi seems keen to fill it with another Italian.

But narrowing the search to just Italian options won’t be easy, especially given the current crop in MotoGP. The team may need to broaden their scope and consider riders from other categories or even bring someone up from outside the series.

There are already a few names being discussed within the team, including a potential return for a former VR46 rider who has long-standing connections with Rossi.

VR46 looking at Luca Marini and Celestino Vietti as Fabio Di Giannantonio’s potential replacements

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MotoGP journalist Mela Chercoles told Nico Abad that VR46 are looking to replace Fabio Di Giannantonio with another Italian rider.

Franco Morbidelli has been ruled out due to poor form, leaving them with two main options: bringing back Luca Marini, who has close ties to Valentino Rossi, or signing Celestino Vietti from Moto2’s Speed Up Racing team.

“We already know that Di Giannantonio has said yes to KTM… They (Ducati and VR46) want it to be an Italian rider. The fight, theoretically, was between Di Giannantonio and Morbidelli,” Chercoles said.

“Morbidelli was no match for Di Giannantonio, just wasn’t producing results that justify it. Another option is to move Vietti up from Moto2, which they like.