The Italian team announced this Sunday (26) the arrival of Álex Márquez, who will switch from Honda to Ducati bikes starting next year. The other news is the renewal of the contract of Fabio Di Giannantonio, who debuted in the premier class this year
Gresini has hit the hammer and closed the line-up for the 2023 season in one fell swoop. The team founded by Fausto Gresini announced this Sunday (26) not only the renewal of Fabio DI Giannantonio's contract, but also the arrival of Álex Márquez, who will be the replacement for Enea Bastianini.
"I am really happy with this new project," celebrated Nadia Padovani", owner of the team. "First of all, we are confirming the continuation of Fabio Di Giannantonio. He has already shown his talent this year, as he has improved race by race, and I am sure he will continue to get more competitive," she continued.
"We were looking to put an experienced driver next to him, and I think Álex Márquez is perfect for our team. His resume speaks for itself. We think he has great potential and that the Desmosedici could be the perfect companion on this new journey. Welcome to the family, Álex," he added.
Álex arrived in MotoGP with Repsol Honda, replacing Jorge Lorenzo, just after winning the Moto2 title, but even before his debut it was announced that he would be demoted to LCR the following year. This change gave him a longer and more direct contract with HRC, but competitiveness did not come in the package.
Gresini, meanwhile, needed a replacement for Bastianini, as the Italian will be transferred either to the Ducati factory team or to Pramac. The Bologna-based outfit is still evaluating whether Enea or Jorge Martín will take the seat alongside Francesco Bagnaia in 2023.
"I am really happy to announce that I have rejoined Gresini, and I am also very excited to start this new adventure: for me, it was crucial to change to regain the same kind of motivation I had when I joined the category," Álex told. "This was the best option for me, with a team that helped write the history of this championship. I would like to thank Nadia, Carlo and all the Gresini staff for believing in me. I still have half a season left before I start 2023 with maximum motivation," he added.
Di Giannantonio, who is a rookie and going into his second year of MotoGP with the Italian team, was also happy with the renewal "that we had already been working on. So far this season, he has won his first pole-position in the premier class, at the Italian GP.
"I am very happy to extend my partnership with this team, which is like a family to me. It's great because we will continue on this learning curve and doing this with a Ducati, which makes me very happy. Continuity is key in MotoGP to be able to work to be the best you can be. We have been working on this contract extension for some time and now we can finally announce it. Obviously the objectives will be bigger: we will use this second part of the season to improve our results, and next year I really want to take that next step," he concluded.