The MotoGP paddock has arrived at the desert circuit of Losail, on the outskirts of Doha, after much debate over safety. For Fabio Di Giannantonio, that does not seem to be his biggest concern, as he has to contend with his Ducati GP26. In the second half of the championship, the VR46 rider has complained of various problems with the Borgo Panigale bike.
‘Diggia’s’ downturn
In the first third of the 2026 World Championship, ‘Diggia’ was the top Ducati rider in the standings. In Brazil, he even won an exciting duel against fellow Ducati rider Marc Marquez, while in Catalunya he claimed his only win of the season (the second of his MotoGP career). He is currently sixth in the overall standings, 13 points behind fifth-placed Ai Ogura. "The second half of the season is not going well at all. From one GP to the next, there’s always something preventing us from making the most of our true potential," the 28-year-old Roman admitted after the Malaysian GP.
Victory in Qatar in 2023
At Sepang, he battled his way to eighth place, 18 seconds behind winner Marc Marquez. From the very first lap, he complained of a lack of front-end grip and vibration issues that made Sunday’s race a torment. His feeling with the red bike has been on the decline since returning from the summer break, but he hopes to bring his Ducati adventure to a strong finish before switching to KTM colours. Lusail holds an unforgettable memory for him: his first MotoGP victory with Gresini in 2023. "We certainly know how to win here. Every time, it’s a new challenge. We can be fast here, and we have nothing to lose for the rest of the season".
Top-speed problems
Just a week ago, ‘Diggia’ was complaining about a lack of top speed on the straights. It was an inexplicable handicap, even compared with riders on the Desmosedici GP26. Asked about this ‘strange phenomenon’, the VR46 rider was cryptic. "We’ve even been as much as 12 km/h slower. That’s definitely a disadvantage, but I can’t control it! You should ask someone else. I’m the same as I was at the test in Malaysia at the start of the year. I was also one of the fastest on the straight here in 2025. I haven’t gained any weight since then; I’m still the same rider on the bike".
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