Di Giannantonio sets his sights very high with VR46: "I can try to win the World Championship

Di Giannantonio would have liked to get more in Thailand, but the 2026 MotoGP season is long and the rider has plenty of confidence that he can do very well.

Ducati didn’t have a dream weekend in Buriram, but it’s far too early to write them off. There are still twenty-one Grands Prix to go, and a manufacturer that dominated recent MotoGP championships will surely bounce back. The best Ducati rider in Thailand was Fabio Di Giannantonio, who scored 12 points: eighth in the sprint and sixth in the main race.

His result on Sunday could have been better, but a technical problem from lap six affected him. That’s something to keep in mind when assessing Ducati’s race, as they could have achieved more with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 rider and also with Marc Marquez, who retired a few laps from the end while running fourth and attacking the Fernandez–Acosta duo.

Diggia has a few regrets about how his race ended in Buriram, because he felt he had the potential to fight for the podium: "The plan was to start strong and be close to the leaders right away. Unfortunately, we struggled because the others got off to a blistering start. So, we had to manage the tires a bit. But we had a technical problem from lap six and I couldn’t push like I wanted. Also, there was little grip on track and the temperatures were really high. But if we’re sixth despite a problem, we can be optimistic, because we could have had a great race. I think we could have fought at least for third place, we were there in terms of pace."

Pre-season testing and the practice sessions had shown a competitive Di Giannantonio. In the two races he couldn’t achieve the desired results due to two situations beyond his control—on Sunday the technical problem, and on Saturday he was pushed off track by Alex Marquez. Even though he could have scored many more points, the Pertamina Enduro VR46 rider is confident about the future: "Overall, the bike works very well: it’s still the first race, there are lots of positives, and I’ve never prepared for a season this well. We worked very calmly. We’re going really fast and we had a solid weekend: it was a shame not to close the loop with two strong races, but we head to Brazil with smiles and the confidence that we can be quick."

Di Giannantonio is not at all worried about how things went in Thailand; in fact, there he got confirmation of his competitiveness in a weekend that wasn’t easy for anyone, given the high temperatures and limited grip. A few days after the GP, speaking on Sky Calcio Unplugged, he showed great optimism and ambition for this 2026 championship: "This is a hugely important season. I feel I have everything around me working well, and that makes the difference for an athlete. I feel I’m in the right place to do something big. Of course, it’s always a challenge—we are the 22 strongest riders in the world and winning is never a given—but it’s my goal and I want to go for it. This is a year in which I can try to win the championship."

The Roman rider is dreaming big; he has found great peace of mind in his private life and feels wonderful with the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team. His first contact with the Ducati Desmosedici GP26 was positive and makes him believe he can be a major protagonist in this MotoGP championship. We’ll see if time proves him right.