Fabio Di Giannantonio is set to make his final appearance of the 2024 MotoGP season this weekend, as he will miss the Malaysian and Valencia rounds due to surgery. Andrea Iannone is speculated to be his replacement at Pertamina Enduro VR46, at least for Sepang next week.
Francesco Bagnaia commented on this possibility during a press conference: ‘I hoped to see [Nicolò] Bulega on this bike, because I think that when you have a possibility to try a MotoGP bike, you have to take it’.
Although there is no official confirmation about Iannone yet, Bagnaia believes that «The Maniac» would make the most of the opportunity – though Sepang presents a tough challenge:
– I think Iannone will enjoy a lot with us. For sure, Malaysia is not an easy track to be riding. We saw what [Álvaro] Bautista did last season. But I think he will enjoy, he already knows what is a MotoGP bike, and he will take it as a fun moment.