Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Edition

Australia Australia
Breaking news

Moto3 ace Di Giannantonio seals Moto2 promotion

Moto3 ace Fabio Di Giannantonio will step up to Moto2 on a two-year deal, Speed Up Racing has announced.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, Del Conca Gresini Racing Moto3

The 19-year-old Italian will partner Jorge Navarro at the team next season, the Spaniard likewise signed through to 2020.

“I'm happy and ready to start this new adventure,” Di Giannantonio said. “Moto2 is a demanding category, and in the beginning it will take me some time to adapt, but my desire to learn is great and I'm sure the team can help me.”

The announcement signifies an all-new line-up for the team, which has fielded a pair of Speed Up SF18 bikes for MotoGP-bound Fabio Quartararo and former Moto3 champion Danny Kent this year.

Kent, who had initially joined the team on a 2018-19 deal, has already been let go, with Edgar Pons taking his place for the rest of the current campaign.

Team boss Luca Boscoscuro said: “I am really pleased to announce that Fabio Di Giannantonio will be with us for the next two seasons.

“Having Fabio at Speed Up presents us a new and exciting challenge, and we will fight together to achieve excellent results.

“Fabio is a talented young man and has what it takes to compete in Moto2.”

Di Giannantonio is in his third full Moto3 season, having finished sixth in his rookie year and fifth in the sophomore campaign.

However, it took the Italian – who sits third, 41 points behind leader Jorge Martin, in the current standings - until this year's Brno race to notch up his first lightweight-class win.

Di Giannantonio has raced for Gresini since joining the grand prix paddock, but the relationship between the rider and team owner Fausto Gresini soured amid a contractual dispute for 2019.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, Del Conca Gresini Racing Moto3

Fabio Di Giannantonio, Del Conca Gresini Racing Moto3

Photo by: Gold and Goose / LAT Images

Pons confirms Baldassarri, Fernandez

Another Moto2 team, Pons Racing, confirmed that it would be sticking with Lorenzo Baldassarri and Augusto Fernandez for 2019.

Baldassarri, a two-time Moto2 race winner, is in his fifth season in the category and currently sits fourth in the standings.

Meanwhile, Fernandez made his debut with Speed Up in 2017 and joined Pons earlier this year in place of the sacked Hector Barbera.

2019 Moto2 line-up so far:

Team Riders
Marc VDS

Spain Alex Marquez

Spain Xavi Vierge

Ajo KTM

Spain Jorge Martin

South Africa Brad Binder

Tech 3 KTM

Italy Marco Bezzecchi

Germany Philipp Oettl

Intact GP

Switzerland Tom Luthi

Germany Marcel Schrotter

Sky Racing VR46

Italy Luca Marini

Italy Nicolo Bulega

CGBM Evolution

United States Joe Roberts 

Spain Iker Lecuona

MV Agusta Forward Racing

TBA

Speed Up

Spain Jorge Navarro

Italy Fabio Di Giannantonio

Italtrans

Italy Andrea Locatelli

Italy Enea Bastianini

Angel Nieto Team

 Jake Dixon

TBA

Tasca Racing

Italy Simone Corsi

Gresini Racing

 Sam Lowes

Petronas-SIC Malaysia Khairul Idham Pawi 
NTS RW Racing

Netherlands Bo Bendsneyder

South Africa Steven Odendaal

Honda Team Asia TBA
Kiefer Racing TBA
Pons HP40

Spain Augusto Fernandez

Italy Lorenzo Baldassarri

SAG Team TBA

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Former Moto3 champion Kent dropped by Speed Up
Next article Thailand Moto2: Bagnaia wins as Sky VR46 takes 1-2

Top Comments

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Edition

Australia Australia