#ValenciaTest. The off-season is around the corner and after saying goodbye to Enea Bastianini, Team Gresini MotoGP has started the road to 2023 with the new rider duo of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez. Both standard bearers got to grip today with the 2022-spec Ducati Desmosedici machine. 

Expectations were high especially for the Spaniard, who made his on-track debut aboard Ducati machinery. The #73 had a steady and safe approach: with a total of 73 completed and a best personal lap of 1’30.712secs, he was not far from the top of the timesheets. It was more of a shakedown for him, with the former LCR rider who worked exclusively on the feeling with the bike and the electronics.  

On the other side of the garage, Fabio Di Giannantonio started the working relationship with his new crew chief Frankie Carchedi. It was an important day for the #49 on many areas: he completed a significant number of laps especially with used tyres in order to find immediately a competitive set-up ahead of next season, with a special focus on electronics and rear brake. He finished 6^th quickest with a total of 68 laps completed.

6^th - FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’30.483s)
“It was probably my best day since I made my MotoGP debut. The new bike is fantastic and I was feeling better in every area where I was struggling before. Now we’ll enter the off-season with great excitement. We’ll try to keep both feet on the ground and work hard to be ready for Sepang. It was immediately a great feeling with Carchedi and looks like results are already coming.”

14^th - ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (1’30.712s)
“It was an exciting first day and I must say I really had fun on the bike. There is a great atmosphere in the team and I felt comfortable straight away – I was already half Italian so… Ducati supported me from the first moment and it’s going to be a long winter before jumping back on the bike. We want to do a good job and arrive in good form at Portimao.”