VR46 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio will contest two more MotoGP rounds in 2024 before going in for surgery on his shoulder.
The 26-year-old Italian had dislocated his left shoulder badly in a crash at the Red Bull Ring and subsequently revealed that surgery was recommended right away after the injury.
But Di Giannantonio was hoping to stave off the operation for as long as possible, and admitted that part of his reasoning was a desire to see out the 2024 season and try to reward his VR46 team with a podium that has so far eluded him - and the best possible finish in the standings.
He will now get his shots at a podium at Phillip Island and Buriram before sitting out the two final rounds of the year at Sepang and Valencia.
"We did the visit with the doctor last Wednesday, and it came out that the best compromise to do as many races as possible this year, and to arrive as ready as possible next year, seems to be back from Thailand and to do the surgery right after," explained Di Giannantonio.
"So... yeah, for sure it's not fantastic for me because it's never good to miss races, it's never good to finish the season a bit earlier than the others. But at the same time I think it's good for next year, that is an important year for us, to arrive as ready as possible and try to be 100 percent in terms of physical form.
"We have to accept this and we have to work for this and we have to also to work at 100 percent these two races - I want to finish in a nice vibe, this year."
Di Giannantonio clarified that "if there was the opportunity to not do the surgery or make all the races this year, I would have done it".
His shoulder had been improving as of late and he was holding out hope it would recover on its own - having already reduced his in-weekend painkiller intake at Motegi.
"But inside the shoulder it's not good. We know that it's a bit weak. So... that is the main reason for the surgery."
Di Giannantonio's admissions regarding the timeline - that he should be 100 percent for the 2025 season opener if "everything will go like the plan", and that he will be at pre-season testing (but, it is implied, maybe not at 100 percent) - suggest this is a decision that could've been taken even earlier if the priority was to maximise 2025 fitness.
That certainly should've been the priority, because 2025 will carry a much bigger significance for Di Giannantonio - and his VR46 team - than any remaining races this year.
His potential for 2024 is limited by only having Ducati's year-old bike in his possession right now, a bike that has by and large - with a few notable, mainly Marc Marquez-authored exceptions - proven completely incapable of contending with the newer Ducati GP24s.
But next year he will be just one of three riders on works-spec Ducati machinery, with a factory contract to boot, putting him in prime position to at the very least bolster his trophy cabinet and perhaps aim even higher.
A particularly bad scenario would've been Di Giannantonio hanging on to finish the 2024 season and then realising he couldn't avoid the surgery anyway, which will have meant a compromised start to 2025.
At least that has now been seemingly avoided, and though waiting another two races now that Di Giannantonio knows the surgery is unavoidable could be criticised as a half-measure, it is welcome that a firm plan is in place and the uncertainty over 2025 preparations is gone.
Debutant as replacement?
The MotoGP regulations will require VR46 to replace Di Giannantonio for at least the season finale in Valencia, although given the advance notice it will surely seek to avoid competing with just one rider at Sepang, too.
Team manager Pablo Nieto told The Race that "we are working on that" as far as the candidacy of the stand-in rider is concerned.
There is a plug-in-and-play replacement available in theory in Ducati tester Michele Pirro - who has not raced in MotoGP this season as Ducati's dominance under the new concession system means it is no longer allowed wildcard outings.
However, there is also the option of fielding someone like Nicolo Bulega - a works Ducati World Superbike rider who was formerly part of Valentino Rossi's VR46 Academy.
Bulega has had a successful first season in WSBK and is still in title contention coming into the season finale at Jerez this weekend - though rival Toprak Razgatlioglu is the overwhelming favourite to secure the championship.
Asked about Bulega, Nieto said: "Of course he is one of the options, because we know that he is making a very good season. But we are working on more options.
"I think in the next couple of days, next week, we will decide it. I think it's going to be nice."
