The best among the Ducatis
On the day when Ducati sinks, with the Marquez brothers out, Bagnaia behind and Morbidelli just ahead of his Academy colleague, the only one to save – at least in part – the day for the Borgo Panigale house was Fabio Di Giannantonio. His final sixth place was what brought the points for the Constructors’ standings to the Bolognese manufacturer, but it came in surprisingly difficult conditions. The Roman rider, interviewed by Sky Sport MotoGP, revealed that he had serious technical problems with his GP26 that compromised his performance.
Technical problems
“The plan was to start strong and stay close to the Aprilias – explained #49 – but we didn’t succeed: Bez and Raul Fernandez started too fast. We had to aim to manage the tires, as we have done many times in the past, and recover as the race went on. Unfortunately, we had a technical problem on the sixth lap and it became difficult to follow Marquez, Acosta and Martin. The problem got worse every lap, so it was an odyssey. But if we finish sixth with this problem, it gives us hope“. Regarding the details of the problem, understandably, Di Giannantonio remained vague: “I can only tell you that it’s a technical problem, but if you watch the race again, maybe you can understand it”.
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The importance of continuity
Compared to the other Ducati riders, however, Diggia seemed very satisfied with how his team started the season: “We had incredible tests. Personally, I have never prepared for a season so well. I missed finally having continuity with the same team. There are too many positive things to complain about; my worst session this weekend was a free practice where I was in P9, for the rest I was always in the front positions. So we go to Brazil with a big smile and a great desire to do well. Conditions changed from the tests to the race? Today there was little grip on the track in general, partly because of the heat and partly because that’s what always happens when we ride after Moto2. But the bike worked well, until it worked…“.
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