Di Giannantonio doesn't hold back: "Ducati is following Marquez"

After an excellent start to the MotoGP season, Fabio Di Giannantonio is the top Ducati rider in the standings. The VR46 team’s standard-bearer talks about his physical condition and the evolution of the Desmosedici on the eve of the Jerez GP.

The American rounds put ‘Diggia’ to the test, with two crashes — one in Brazil and another in Texas. "We did some tests and there’s a small fracture, but nothing serious. It’s mostly a consequence of the accumulated pain." The long break in the MotoGP championship worked in his favor, allowing him to switch off and regain strength ahead of the European rounds. "So far I’ve taken some painkillers, but I don’t think they’ll be necessary."

The 2026 season has started uphill for Ducati riders, a sign that the GP26 is not yet at its best in terms of development. Fabio Di Giannantonio doesn’t hide and speaks openly, also bringing up the issues of Pecco Bagnaia. "In recent years, it seems the development direction has shifted a bit toward Marc Marquez, while Francesco Bagnaia and I are struggling a bit to find confidence, especially at the front. Speaking for myself, my style is the opposite of Marc’s."

The Roman rider is trying to tailor the Desmosedici to himself by leveraging the setup. "Ducati has always been very strong in this area and I think we’ve lost something by changing the bike’s orientation. I’m involved in the development, even if I’m heading in the opposite direction to Marc," Fabio admitted. The engineers have found some solutions, but "it’s difficult to introduce major changes during a race weekend. Monday’s tests will be crucial for everyone to improve".

Di Giannantonio has certainly improved his personal performance in qualifying. What has changed? "This year the bike has improved and the setup lets me push more in the dry, which is why I’m doing better in qualifying. At the same time, we’ve lost something in rear tire management. I can be very fast with the bike, but less conservative than in the past, which was one of my strengths. This is exactly what I’m working on with Ducati to get back to our previous level."