Michele Pirro will replace the injured Fabio di Giannantonio in the Solidarity Grand Prix this weekend.
The VR46 MotoGP Team announced that Michele Pirro will replace Fabio di Giannantonio in Barcelona. This means that Andrea Iannone will not get a second outing on the team's Ducati GP23.
Di Giannantonio ended his 2024 season after the Thai Grand Prix as he went for shoulder surgery, which was a success. However, he would have to miss the Malaysian and the Solidarity Grand Prix.
In Malaysia, Valentino Rossi gave Iannone the chance to ride his MotoGP machine. This let the Italian get his first chance in MotoGP since the 2019 season. Iannone ended his return to MotoGP in 17th in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Ahead of the 2024 MotoGP season finale, the VR46 Team announced Iannone would not get a second chance. But instead, the Ducati MotoGP Test Rider, Pirro, would replace di Giannantonio.
It will be Pirro’s first outing in MotoGP this season. Ducati is keen on using the opportunity to give Pirro valuable race time ahead of the Solidarity GP test next week.
“First of all, thanks to the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team and Ducati for this great opportunity to close the season on a MotoGP,” Pirro said.
“It is always nice to race in this category and then also with Valentino's colours, whom I thank together with Uccio (Salucci) and Pablo (Nieto). I send a big hug to Fabio, he was doing really well but not being 100% physically fit on this engine size is complicated and next year he really has a great opportunity with the GP25.
“It will be interesting for me to race on the GP23, I will be able to see where we have made some steps forward. I have no expectations for the race, but I am happy to race, also for all the people affected by the floods in Valencia, and I hope to honour the team and the working group. See you on the track.”
