Will Di Giannantonio help Marquez? “At the end of the day, I’m wearing the yellow colours!”

Fabio Di Giannantonio finished third in the MotoGP Sprint in Australia. He felt comfortable on his Ducati at the Phillip Island Circuit. The VR46 rider was certainly very disappointed that Sunday’s main race was cancelled.

“Absolutely. It’s a real shame we couldn’t race. And it was a shame to say goodbye to Phillip Island like this – to all the people who’d come for the race,” the 28-year-old reflected. “Ultimately, it was beyond our control as far as the teams, riders and organisers were concerned. They assessed the safety situation using a helicopter. The track was fine. There were some crazy weather forecasts. But when we went out onto the track for the parade lap, it was definitely in a condition where the race could have gone ahead. It’s always risky to race in heavy wet conditions at Phillip Island, but it was possible. I hope people enjoyed the races we’ve had there over the years.”

From Phillip Island, the action moved on to Sepang, where the Malaysian Grand Prix is taking place this weekend. The riders have already clocked up a great many test kilometres on this circuit, which is why all the manufacturers and teams have a wealth of data at their disposal. However, Michelin has brought a different tyre specification for the Grand Prix.

“They’re different tyres to the ones we used in testing. I hope we don’t have to throw out what we worked out on the bike during testing, because our feeling on the bike was really good,” said Di Giannantonio. “But I’m looking forward to getting back out on the track and showing some good pace on Sunday, which wasn’t possible in the last two races.” The weather forecast for the race weekend looks changeable. For this reason too, the insights gained during the February test may prove of little use.

Fabio Di Giannantonio: “We’ve now realised that there are no Ducati or Aprilia tracks”

In 2025, Ducati dominated at the Sepang International Circuit. Pecco Bagnaia won the sprint race, whilst Alex Márquez took victory in the Grand Prix. Will the Desmosedici once again be the bike to beat on this circuit this year? “It’s the 19th race weekend of the year. I think we’ve now realised that there are no ‘Ducati’ or ‘Aprilia’ tracks,” said ‘Diggia’, waving the idea aside. “I think both the manufacturers and the riders from both brands are doing an excellent job. And I think that if one beats the other, it’s simply because the team, the rider or the bike has performed better than the others. That’s why, in my opinion, we should stop talking about Ducati or Aprilia tracks.”

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Ducati ace Marc Marquez leads the overall standings by ten points ahead of Jorge Martin (Aprilia). The 2026 MotoGP season is entering the home straight. Is there a possibility that, for example, Ducati Corse CEO Gigi Dall’Igna Di Giannantonio might ask MM93 to help in the title race? “I’m focused on my own championship. I want to try and get the most out of this year. At the end of the day, I’m wearing the yellow colours. So I’m acting in my own interests and in the interests of my team, and I’m trying to achieve the best possible result for my career and also for my team,” the Roman clarified. “So the aim is to achieve what’s closest at the moment – that’s fourth place. You should never say ‘never’ when it comes to third place. But I know it’ll be extremely difficult to beat Bezzecchi in the upcoming races. Still, we’re working towards it. Our main focus is therefore on giving our all on the track to achieve the best possible result by the end of the year.” Fabio Di Giannantonio is currently sixth in the World Championship standings. He trails Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), who is in third place, by 63 points.

Di Giannantonio on Qatar: “The aim is to work together with MotoGP”

On 28 October, the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group informed the teams that the Qatar Grand Prix would definitely go ahead. The situation in the Middle East remains uncertain, which is why not all riders are keen to race in the Doha desert. What assurances have the riders demanded for Qatar?

“We can’t go into detail, but let’s put it this way: the aim is to work with MotoGP to ensure the best possible safety, the best guarantees and insurance cover – for all members of the paddock – so that we can do our jobs better,” explained Di Giannantonio. “I think it’s fair to help MotoGP improve our sport – not just on the track, but off it too, and in matters such as these. So we’re not in conflict. It’s a collaboration to improve conditions for everyone, so that we can race there.”