Fabio Di Giannantonio is facing an uncertain future as he withdraws from MotoGP testing indefinitely following a severe crash at the Sepang International Circuit.
The crash took place at Turn 5, a notorious section of the track, during a practice start session. Di Giannantonio’s team, VR46 Ducati, confirmed that he suffered a fractured collarbone due to the incident, as reported by Crash.net.
Unable to continue the test, he is scheduled to return to Italy to undergo medical procedures to address the injury right away.
Di Giannantonio has faced similar challenges before, having dealt with a shoulder injury that he sustained at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2024. That injury forced him to miss the last two rounds of the season, for which he underwent surgery on his shoulder to ensure he recovered fully.
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Prior to his recent crash in Sepang, he started easing back into full racing with a private test session on a Panigale V4 Ducati at the Mandalika Circuit. However, the Sepang crash serves as a blow to his preparation for the 2025 season.
“Fabio Di Giannantonio has been diagnosed with a left collarbone fracture following his Turn 5 crash at Sepang Test,” stated Francesco Bagnaia.
The VR46 Racing Team, founded by Valentino Rossi, is at the forefront of Ducati development. Di Giannantonio was to be one of the few riders outfitted with the new GP25 Ducati model, which will show off strong improvements, especially in aerodynamics and engine performance.
Missing the Sepang test means Di Giannantonio loses valuable time to adapt and provide input on this new version of his motorcycle. It’s not the first time he has been disrupted from testing; his shoulder surgery prevented his joining in the Barcelona test last November, another opportunity lost.
“The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team rider will fly back tonight to Italy to undergo surgery.” said the team’s brief statement.
Despite the fall, Di Giannantonio still managed to complete 49 laps before his injury, clocking a competitive seventh-fastest time. His performance hinted at a promising season as he continues to work around the new GP25.
However, his absence is not the only one at Sepang; injuries seem to be a risky trend lately in the testing period. Riders such as Jorge Martin, the reigning world champion, and Raul Fernandez have also had to withdraw owing to injuries needing surgery. Unpredictable track conditions with grip issues at Sepang have often contributed to these accidents, bringing a high-risk factor to practice sessions, especially at challenging turns like Turn 5.
Franco Morbidelli, a teammate at VR46, managed to take a fifth-place finish during the same testing session, which shows promising development for the team in the wake of Di Giannantonio’s absence.
With the season opener on March 2 in Thailand fast approaching, the timeline for Di Giannantonio’s recovery could be tight given his past recovery and the competition only increases its intensity by the day.
