Di Giannantonio on holeshot devices: “Perhaps I was wrong”

After finishing fourth twice in Brno, VR46 ace Fabio Di Giannantonio is keen to fight for wins and podium places again at Assen. The Ducati rider is very taken with the historic Dutch circuit.

“It’s a fantastic circuit; I love it. It’s one of the most historic tracks on the calendar,” enthused the Italian on Thursday ahead of the race weekend. “It’s very fast; you can have some great battles here and overtake in lots of places. I really enjoy riding here.”

Nevertheless, Di Giannantonio has yet to achieve any top results in the premier class at Assen. “My best result came in Moto3 – it was a second place. We’re working on it,” smiled ‘Diggia’. “We’ve improved on what was missing last year for this weekend. I believe we can do a good job here; what’s more, the track suits my riding style and my bike well. I’m not worried that I won’t be fast.”

From the Assen GP onwards, the holeshot device is banned on MotoGP bikes. Is Di Giannantonio surprised that the ban on the starting device has been implemented so quickly? “I expected this, because when there’s intense discussion about something, it tends to be implemented. I’ve expressed my opinion on the matter, but I also respect this decision – it’s the same for everyone. We’ll try to make the most of this regulation.” The VR46 rider isn’t one of those who wanted the holeshot device removed as quickly as possible. “I simply said that, as far as I’m concerned, both devices are relatively safe. They see it differently. But perhaps I was wrong, which is fine by me.”

What Di Giannantonio is focusing on

One area where Di Giannantonio has repeatedly struggled this year has been the starts or the opening laps of the race. Will he be focusing on this at Assen and in the upcoming races? “I’m working a lot on the opening laps and I’m trying to find a good rhythm right from the first two laps – so that I’m always right up there at the front. I’ll keep working on that,” confirmed the 27-year-old.

Di Giannantonio is currently third in the overall standings. He trails championship leader Marco Bezzecchi by 23 points. The Aprilia factory riders struggled at the last two race weekends in Hungary and the Czech Republic. “I believe Aprilia will be in the mix here. If you’re that fast, you’re always in the mix,” the Ducati rider dismissed the concerns. “I realise they couldn’t show their true potential in Brno, but they’ll be fast throughout the year. They’ve also proved to everyone that even if they get off to a bad start to a weekend, they can turn the situation around.”