Valentino Rossi has been closely following the MotoGP practice sessions at Barcelona, dividing his time between the pit wall and various points along the track. “When I come here, I have to work,” he joked, explaining that he had watched the first part of the circuit up to turns 7 and 8, before stopping in front of the big screen for the last 15 minutes of the session.
Speaking of Fabio Di Giannantonio, Rossi praised the work done by the VR46 rider on the 2026 Ducati:
“Diggia is doing very well. He’s in good shape and understands this bike in the right way. From one track to the next, they change very little; they mainly work on fine-tuning. He’s also very effective under braking and into the corners and manages to carry a lot of speed through them. Of course, there’s still work to be done, because they’re all bunched up within a few tenths, but he really seems very fast to me.”
Then it was the turn of Marco Bezzecchi, the protagonist of an extraordinary start to the season.
“Bez is having an incredible season. In the five full-length races, he’s won three and finished second in the other two. He’s fully in the fight for the World Championship. At Le Mans, Martin was stronger, but we’re still talking about a MotoGP World Champion. And in fact, today he was also struggling, finishing outside the top ten. Consistency, in this MotoGP, is difficult for everyone.”
Questions also came in from the Sky TV studio about the overall level of the championship and the performance of the various bikes. Rossi once again praised the Ducatis, also highlighting Alex Marquez’s competitiveness:
“Alex Marquez also made a huge impression on me; he seems very fast.”
As for the Hondas, however, the nine-time world champion identified a few remaining limitations.
“They’re not bad, but they lack a bit of rear grip and the bike moves around a lot. Mir put in a great lap, right on the limit, while Zarco improved right at the end. But I’d say they’re not bad.”
Rossi then underlined how spectacular it is to see such a balanced MotoGP race in person.
“Barcelona is a beautiful track to ride but also to watch from the outside, because you can get very close to the action. It’s impressive to see how close everyone is: the details really make the difference. A few tenths can mean pole position or starting ninth.”
When asked why the championship is so close compared to the past, Valentino pointed primarily to the technical evolution of the other manufacturers.
“The big difference compared to last year is that back then Ducati had a clear advantage, especially in the early races. Now, however, all the bikes are very similar. It seems to me that everyone has made a big step forward with the electronics, especially when opening the throttle and in long corners. The other bikes are also cleaner and smoother to ride: it’s as if the other manufacturers have reached Ducati’s level in this regard.”
Finally, Rossi spoke about the future of the VR46 team and the desire to continue focusing on Italian riders.
“We’re very happy with the work we’ve done with Di Giannantonio. When we started together, he didn’t have a ride, and year after year we’ve grown together, to the point where we see him so competitive today. Of course, there’s a risk he might leave, and we’d be sorry to see him go, but we’re proud of the journey we’ve taken. For the future, we’d like to keep at least one Italian rider on the team, because our team has always grown alongside Italian riders. There are several options, but nothing has been decided yet.”
Among the possibilities are Bulega, his brother Luca Marini, and from Barcelona, the name of Celestino Vietti has also come up.