Gresini’s Alex Marquez will head to Qatar Motogup, which leads the world rider championship, but VR46 is currently responsible for ordering the Ducati Pecking satellite in the team rankings.
The podium and consistent top five results from both Franco Morbidelli and Fabio di Giannantonio in the opening three rounds made Valentino Rossi’s team second only to the factory’s Ducati Renovo team.
Di Giannantonio arrives at Lucail, who won an emotional motogpu victory at Gresini in 2023 – riding high after winning his first podium in VR46 colours at Kota. His shoulder injuries continue to heal, allowing him to train hard during weekend holidays.
“The Rossail trucks are incredible and have always given me great emotions over the past few years,” said Di Giannantonio. “We are even more excited about Qatar after the great results we have achieved in the US.
“We build a very good package with our bike setup so we think we can get really fast. The important thing is to concentrate all weekend and prepare the best races to get on the podium.
“This week we’ve had a lot of training on two wheels, so we’re ready for the weekend.”
Morbidelli, Di Giannantonio, 2025 Americas Motogp Sprint
But that’s Morbidelli – riding the old spec GP24 – he has an edge in the rider’s rankings, sitting fourth overall, earning 10 points from his teammates.
The former Moto2 Qatar winner has begun an impressive life with VR46, targeting another step in this weekend’s qualifying round.
“We’re heading for the track I love. It’s a unique race for the Times, the light of the track,” Morbidelli said of the night race schedule. “It feels so good so far. We’ve started the season strong, and we have to keep going like this.
“We’re going to take another step in qualifying. We look forward to the race this weekend. This week I trained on bikes on both the track and the ranch to prepare for this unique Grand Prix.
“I feel ready and excited for this night’s race weekend.”
The competitiveness among teammates was fully exhibited in the COTA Sprint.
This has led to the team manager Pablo Nieto reminding the pair to “respect each other” a little more.