Fabio di Giannantonio feels MotoGP’s present schedule is pushing riders too far, highlighting the bodily toll of the expanded calendar.
The 2025 MotoGP season featured a report 22 grands prix, boosted by the addition of a brand new monitor in Hungary and returning races within the Czech Republic and Argentina.
With sprints changing into a fixture at each weekend since 2023, riders contested a complete of 44 races throughout this season, a major enhance for a championship that beforehand ran fewer than 20 races a yr.
Marc Marquez’s early title coronation in Japan, adopted by his crash in Indonesia, additional drained momentum from the championship, which ended with a comparatively low-key finale.
Reflecting on 2025, Di Giannantonio believes MotoGP’s schedule has change into too demanding for riders, leaving them with little time to give attention to coaching and sustaining their health stage.
“Too many [races]. Too many travelling days, too many for the physique. 44 races, [it is] too many,” the VR46 rider mentioned in Valencia.
“Zero coaching. You practice so much in a single month, as an instance, in January, and then you definitely simply attempt to hold your type as finest as you’ll be able to via the season. It is fully regular that your bodily type goes down somewhat bit.
“However it’s what we’re paid for, so now we have to make it.”
LCR rider Johann Zarco echoed di Giannantonio’s sentiment, including how riders even have to remain sharp for the Valencia take a look at that’s held instantly after the ultimate race of the season.
“We are able to really feel that there’s a weight of the 22 races. The physique is form of struggling,” he mentioned. “We’ll want a bit extra relaxation [in the winter] to return again with higher vitality.
“So perhaps we attain the weekend with 70% or 80% of the vitality, not 100%.
Johann Zarco, Group LCR Honda
Photograph by: Gold and Goose Images / LAT Pictures / by way of Getty Pictures
“However we all know that after we do the final push on Sunday [in Valencia], then it’s good to be centered on Tuesday, as a result of it’s good to do Tuesday in a great way.
“If you do not have sufficient vitality on Tuesday, it turns into harmful since you at all times should be feeling good and good in your thoughts to go on the bike.”
Di Giannantonio’s former team-mate Marco Bezzecchi admitted that MotoGP’s 22-round schedule is demanding, however feels outcomes additionally play a key position in how riders understand the calendar.
Bezzecchi loved a robust finish to his 2025 marketing campaign, successful the ultimate two grands prix in Portimao and Valencia aboard the improved Aprilia RS-GP.
“It relies upon so much on the temper, as a result of in case you are going properly, you take pleasure in and you are feeling that the races are going tremendous fast,” he mentioned. “In my case, for instance, after Jerez, I’ve to say that point was flying.
“It is tough to have 22 races with the motorcycle, 44 with the sprints. So bodily it is robust, mentally additionally.
“But when you’ll be able to construct a great relationship together with your group and you are feeling good on the races, then we’re doing what we love, so it is okay.”
A lot of MotoGP’s enlargement has centred round new markets in Asia, with Dorna following the identical technique as F1 to develop the championship.
Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia mentioned he welcomed MotoGP’s push to discover new venues outdoors of Europe, however admitted he would have preferred the 2025 season to finish sooner.
“We’re ready for every part and I believe it is truthful to have a calendar like this,” he mentioned. “We’re having fun with driving and, truthfully, doing extra races out of Europe is good and now we have a great time there.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Group
Photograph by: Steve Wobser / Getty Pictures
“In my state of affairs, truthfully, it is extra robust, nevertheless it’s what it’s – and it is nice that it is like this. Final yr, I wanted yet one more race, this season perhaps 5 much less. However it’s what it’s.”
KTM star Pedro Acosta additionally had no main difficulty with the expanded 2025 calendar, however acknowledged that accidents now carry better penalties for riders.
“I believe it is a good quantity,” he mentioned. “We spend lots of time with the group. And it is good [to have more races], even within the unhealthy moments, to take care of a circulation.
“It is true that it is fairly robust for riders that get injured. Usually, up to now, you lose one or two races, and now you could possibly lose perhaps 4 in a row in case your damage shouldn’t be tremendous massive.
“Like Marco mentioned, it will depend on the temper that you’re in. The one adverse is in the event you change into injured.”
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