Fabio Di Giannantonio m꧋ay have been ranked behind Remy Gardner, Raul Fernandez and Marco Beꦡzzecchi in this year's Moto2 world championship, but he emerged fastest of the 2022 MotoGP rookies in their first official test, at Jerez.

Riding for the new Gresini Ducati team, the Italian was 22nd out of 27 riders after his first day on the Desmosedici GP21, when Fernandez was top ♛newcomer for Tech3 KTM.

Di Giannantoღnio was then delighted to start day two with th🎐e same lap time, going on to cut 1.1s from his best over 45 windy laps.

That put the triple grand prix winner 19th overall, 1.656s from factꦏory Ducati pace setter Franc🎐esco Bagnaia but only one-second behind the next best riders and 0.163s ahead of Fernandez.

Gardner, who like team-mate Fernandez had some previous Moto𝔉GP laps at Misano, was 22nd, with Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Ducati) 25th and Darryn Binder (RNF Yamaha) - j🌠umping straight from Moto3 to MotoGP- 26th.

"We just started this morning with the setting as we left the track yesterday. So I was super happy because on my first run I was already as fast ♌as the day before," confirmed di Giannantonio.

"We started to work a bit on the electronic side of the bike, to try to understand well to improve on morꦇe power, less power and all the controls we have at the moment. At the end I was improving my feeling.

"It's a pity that the day is a bit ruined by the wind, because the conditions were a bit critical. There is a💫 lot of grip but a lot of wind, so especially in the fast corners now the MotoGP bikes have the wings so it's difficult to control the bike in the fast corners.

"But overall I'm super happy."

di Giannantonio said the start of the ne💛w MotoGP adventure had instantly refreshed him after a mentally draining Moto2 campaign.

"Honestly coming to Valencia, I was so tired mentally most of all. But now I don’t want to stop, I would like to have more tests or a rac💞e to continue to learn the MotoGP!" he smiled.

Seventh 🎀in this year's M𒁏oto2 standings, the highlight of di Giannantonio's season was undoubtedly the emotional win, at the same Jerez circuit in May, which he dedicated to late team boss Fausto Gresini.

"I have goosebuꦉmps because Gresini is the team that believed in me since the beginning," 'digia' said. "They gave me the opportunity to arrive in the world championship and to achieve great results in Moto3, theౠn achieve great results in Moto2 and then make my debut in the premier-class.

"It's something amazing. I'm just so grateful."

Team-mate Enea Bastianini, arriving at Gresini and the GP21 after a rookie season high⛎lighted by two podiums on a GP19 at Avintia, was eighth fastest after just 25 laps on the final day.

“The wind was too strong so I chose to not throw away the g🌞ood things we had done. We were always quick, even race-pace wise," Bastianini said. "We did not turn the set-up around: we only did ♈a few little changes to be even more comfortable on the bike.

"Ducati’s DNA hasn’t c𓃲hanged, but the bike has improved in all areas. I must admit I was quick even with the wind, which is a condition that doesn’t suit me well.”

As a rookie, di Giannantonio will be back on track at the Sepang Shakedown 𓆉test at the end of January, with Bastianini then joining the action🌺 when the official test begins at the start of February.