The Ducati rider whose 2024 seat is being threatened by outstanding Moto2 talent

The Gresini Racing rider, currently in his second season in the premier class, has underwhelmed Ducati who have identified who they want to replace him with, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Arbolino, of the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team in Moto2, has become Ducati’s “number one choice to replace” Di Giannantonio, the report says.

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Ducati admire Arbolino’s “technical growth and personality”.

Arbolino currently leads the Moto2 standings after five rounds of 2023.

He won in Argentina and France and is locked in a fascinating title duel with Pedro Acosta.

Di Giannantonio, who ended his rookie year finishing 20th in the MotoGP standings, is currently 15th.

His struggles at Gresini have been compounded by the success of his teammate last season, Enea Bastianini, who won the second-most amount of races in 2022 and earned a promotion to Ducati’s factory team.

Alex Marquez is Di Giannantonio’s teammate this season, and is so far outperforming the Italian who must now know that time is running out to secure a seat for a third consecutive year in MotoGP.