Mystery in the VR46 garage, problems for 'Diggia': “Ducati knows...”

Fabio Di Giannantonio finished fifth in the MotoGP Sprint in Malaysia and eighth in the main race (about 18 seconds off the pace). Starting from sixth on the grid, the VR46 rider was unable to make the most of his Ducati GP26’s potential due to a “mysterious” problem.

Ducati is on course to claim its fifth consecutive riders’ title and seventh constructors’ title in a row. Borgo Panigale has long dominated the MotoGP class, with a prototype that has faced some competition from Aprilia this year. It’s a shame for Di Giannantonio, who made a strong start to the 2026 World Championship but later had to give way in the standings (he is currently sixth).

The Roman rider for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team acknowledges that the Marquez brothers currently have a superior pace. "I think we have a great bike, a very competitive package and an excellent setup. I feel really good on the bike. Unfortunately, we’re missing something that would allow us to show our full potential, but for now, there’s nothing we can do about it". At Sepang, the brothers from Cervera dominated, with Alex taking pole position and Marc winning the main race.

There was little ‘Diggia’ could do during this MotoGP weekend. "It was really difficult to catch the riders in front because of other problems and factors". The mixed wet-and-dry conditions put the VR46 rider to the test. After all, his difficulties seem to be the same as those experienced by Pecco Bagnaia on the Desmosedici. But Marc Marquez’s results leave no room for excuses...

Di Giannantonio admits he could have gained places at the start. "Maybe I could have done better. I should have tried to pass Bezzecchi at the first corner. That might have put me in a more favourable position”. He knows exactly what it will take to make another step forward, but he won’t reveal it. "It’s very simple when you look at the analysis and the results. When you have all the data in front of you, you can see it easily. It’s very clear. But I can’t say... I hope to find a solution to the things we’re missing. If we can solve these problems, I think we can try to fight for the top three".

The VR46 garage reported that Di Giannantonio was lacking top speed. "We’re losing around 7–8 km/h on every straight, and that’s a lot on this kind of track", Pablo Nieto told MotoGP pit lane reporter Jack Appleyard. "We need to focus on the reason. We’re working with Ducati, but at the moment we don’t know why, since all the engines we have are exactly the same, yet we’re missing that speed... Ducati knows - the team manager concluded -, but we need to see."

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