Diggia, danger averted amid the debris: Valentino Rossi's thoughts are with Marquez

VR46 brings home another important result in this MotoGP championship. Fabio Di Giannantonio clinched his first win of the season with the Ducati GP26 at Montmeló, at the end of a race riddled with crashes, mishaps, injuries, and post-finish penalties. The Roman rider lived through terrifying moments following the collision between Alex Marquez and Pedro Acosta. Team owner Valentino Rossi was also present during the Catalan weekend.

Di Giannantonio experienced moments of fear when he saw a multitude of bike parts flying in his direction. He couldn’t avoid contact with a wheel, which struck his Desmosedici and brought him down. Despite the incident, Fabio managed to get back on the bike and fought through the pain to take the victory. Valentino Rossi, present at Montmeló, witnessed his rider’s achievement.

The MotoGP Legend was struck by what happened in Sunday’s full-distance race. "My God, what a scare," the Italian began, recalling the crash that involved Alex Marquez, Pedro Acosta, and Di Giannantonio. "It was tough. It was terrible. ‘Diggia’ could have been hurt too. He was really strong when he came back; he had an incredible race, he was super fast. He made every overtake the way he needed to, he didn’t make a single mistake, and in the last two laps he was 7–8 tenths of a second faster than everyone else. We are very proud of ‘Diggia’, of the whole team. It’s a fantastic win, truly emotional."

It was the 2020 Austrian GP when Valentino Rossi was involved in a very similar incident, narrowly missed by the bikes of Zarco and Morbidelli after they collided. Luck lent a hand back then as well. Fortunately, the pile-up at Montmeló ended with no particularly serious injuries for Alex Marquez, to whom the Doctor sends his thoughts. "Luckily it turned out okay, because that straight is very fast. Fortunately Alex managed to avoid hitting the wall at a dangerous angle when he fell. I hope he’s fine; he got away with it."

The decision to return to the track for the third restart is sparking debate in the MotoGP paddock. In the end, there’s very little you can do... "You don’t have much choice. You can’t just get to the pit box and say: ‘I’m scared, I’m not racing anymore, I’m going home.’ Maybe you should," Valentino Rossi concluded.

For Diggia, this is his second MotoGP victory with the Tavullia team. The previous one dates back to the 2023 Qatar GP, decisive for his stay in the Top Class, when he had not yet signed a contract for the following season. Even though Fabio and VR46 will part ways at the end of the championship, a strong professional and emotional bond remains. "I dedicate this victory to the team and to Vale... They are an incredible team and we care a lot about each other. This victory was needed, and it was right to dedicate it to them."

At the moment, Fabio Di Giannantonio’s Ducati is the only one keeping pace with the Aprilias at the top of the standings. The world title objective is worth considering. "If we work like this, we can definitely get to the point of fighting for the title. So, let’s keep working."

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