Di Giannantonio (VR46) on Alex Márquez: “He hit me full on!”

Fabio Di Giannantonio was feeling confident ahead of the MotoGP Sprint at Motegi. He felt comfortable on his Ducati during Friday afternoon’s free practice. This continued on Saturday – the Italian finished qualifying in sixth place.

Starting from the second row, Di Giannantonio got off to a good start in the sprint and managed to hold his position. But then his race came to an abrupt end as early as the third corner. He and Pedro Acosta (KTM) were taken out by Gresini rider Alex Márquez. Di Giannantonio was in pain afterwards and had to be examined at the circuit’s medical centre. “I took a heavy blow to my right side – to my ribs and hip. They examined me. It seems everything is fine, which is the most important thing,” the 27-year-old reassured everyone at the subsequent press conference. “At first, though, I was left lying in the gravel because I was finding it hard to breathe.”

Di Giannantonio then described in detail how he had experienced the crash: “I saw a rider coming towards me really fast, so I tried to make a bit of room for him. I thought I’d managed it, but then he hit me full on. The collision was unexpected, but I’m fine, and that’s the most important thing.”

How does ‘Diggia’ assess the situation? “You’ll have to ask Alex about that,” he said tersely. Alex Márquez, who caused the crash, subsequently apologised to Di Giannantonio and Pedro Acosta in front of the assembled journalists. “Unfortunately, I made a mistake before Turn 3, which unfortunately also ruined the race for two other riders. I’m really very sorry,” said the Spaniard.

Di Giannantonio on the penalty against AM73: “If that’s what they’ve decided, that’s fine by me”

AM73 has been penalised – he must complete a double long lap in the Grand Prix. Is the penalty harsh enough? “I’m just the rider. We have race officials and I know they’re committed to ensuring our maximum safety. That’s why I trust them. If that’s what they’ve decided, that’s fine by me,” said the VR46 rider.

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For Di Giannantonio, the retirement was a bitter blow. “We’d worked hard to avoid wearing out the tyres too much and thought we had a chance of a good result. I got off to a good start and took the first corner very well. From then on, I had the chance to put in a consistent race, which unfortunately ended far too soon,” said the Roman. “But we’re not giving up and we’ll fight back tomorrow! We’ve got good potential and can put in a good race.” One thing is certain: Fabio Di Giannantonio will still be feeling the effects on his ribs on Sunday.