Di Giannantonio on the VR46 Ducati speed disadvantage: “You’ll have to ask others about that”

The MotoGP circus has arrived at the Losail desert circuit outside Doha – following much debate over safety, the event is going ahead. For Fabio Di Giannantonio, this isn’t currently an issue; the Ducati rider has other things on his mind. Last year, the 28-year-old from Rome was involved in a crash with world champion Jorge Martin during the main race and finished well off the pace.

In 2023, ‘Diggia’ won in Doha on the Gresini Ducati. ‘I have lots of great memories of Doha, but also some bad ones. Let’s talk about the good things. We certainly know how to win here. Every time is a new challenge. We can be quick here and, with nothing left to lose as the season draws to a close, we want to fight for the podium and enjoy it with the team.”

“It’s a special weekend here – with the floodlit conditions and racing at night – so let’s just enjoy it. I see it as a weekend just like any other; that’s how it should be.” As a reminder: Di Giannantonio’s VR46 team manager, Uccio Salucci, spoke ahead of the event with understanding for the riders regarding the situation in the Gulf region, but at the same time insisted on compliance with the contracts.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, who will be joining KTM in 2027, on the upcoming action on the track: “Conditions on the track can change from session to session, and the tyres are also different from last year.”

Di Giannantonio hasn’t put on weight

At Sepang, ‘Diggia’ was recently noticeably lacking in top speed on the straights compared to others. When asked about this handicap, Di Giannantonio was cryptic. “It was up to twelve km/h. That’s certainly a disadvantage – but I can’t control that! You’ll have to ask someone else about that. I’m the same as I was at the start of the year during the test in Malaysia. Back in 2025, I was one of the fastest on the straights here too. I haven’t put on any more kilos since then – it’s still me on the bike.”

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