Fabio Di Giannantonio’s Qatar MotoGP may have ended without points, but VR46 Ducati Rider claims there is a pace to challenge the podium before the “event” intervenes.
After being forced behind the field for high speed contact with Alex Marquez, Digia did his best to take evasive action when Jorge Martin crashed directly in front of him in the race.
Martin’s condition preyed on his mind, but the Italians got a glimpse into what happened by laping faster than race winner Mark Marquez in the closing lap.
“At the end of the race, when I look at the lap times, I think our pace was on the podium,” he said. “That was the goal. Then some events destroyed our plans.”
Instead, he was left without a point after crossing the line in 16th place.
“To be honest, I knew there was this kind of pace,” he continued. “We worked well with the team to prepare for this race…the goal was to compete with Mark.
“In Italian, we say, ‘Ifs and buts, we don’t go anywhere,’ but it’s true that our pace was really strong. ”
Despite the disappointment, Diggia remains fifth in the World Championships and has a podium at Cota.
However, his Qatar’s non-score left him 30 points behind VR46 teammate Franco Morbidelli from the inform, who secured a double roster at Rusail.
Di Giannantonio argues that internal rivalries are motivated.
“Having a strong teammate helps a lot,” said Di Giannantonio. “You can study a lot from (the other side of the garage)… you can learn some secrets. And when I go a little faster, he can do the same from me.
“Anyone who’s on track and beats your rival is a rider, so it’s not that different for me.”
Both VR46 riders are aiming high at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend at Jerez. There, the team scored Marco Betzecki and the only podium in 2024.
Di Giannantonio was a former Moto2 winner on the Andalusian circuit, finishing seventh last season.
“The Jerez is a very small track compared to the previous four tracks,” he said. “It’s very technical and you can understand whether the setup you tried in the last race is positive.
“It’s going to be a good weekend. I’m hoping to see a lot of European fans – they bring a lot of energy. It’s important to keep up the speed we showed the previous weekend.
“I’m sure we can fight again for the top position.”
Shortly after the race weekend, Di Giannantonio is expected to join fellow GP25 riders Mark Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia to evaluate new development parts in Monday’s tests.