VR46 reconstructed Fabio di Giannantonio’s wrecked Ducati, leading to a seventh-place finish in the Qatar MotoGP.
Despite finishing seventh in the 2023 Qatar MotoGP, winner Fabio di Giannantonio found plenty to smile about in Lusail, where the weekend was far from ordinary.
The new VR46 rider, consistently quick in pre-season, secured a seventh-place starting position on the grid, just 0.058 seconds behind the leading GP23 of Marc Marquez, successor to Gresini.
However, his Sprint race took a harrowing turn as he high-sided on the third lap, landing heavily on his left foot before narrowly escaping the path of oncoming riders.
“Thankfully, everyone saw me,” di Giannantonio remarked. “But then the bike went straight into the barrier. I won’t disclose the repair costs for the team!”
The VR46 crew burned the midnight oil to piece together the bike for Sunday’s grand prix, where a hobbling di Giannantonio managed to climb to sixth place on the opening lap.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the team,” di Giannantonio expressed. “The crash took a toll on the bike, and they worked tirelessly overnight to rebuild it from scratch.”
However, an erratic braking problem led the Italian to push his front tire to its limit, leaving him in eighth place for much of the 21 laps. He eventually overtook a fading Pedro Acosta in the final stages of the race.
“It hasn’t been an easy weekend for us,” Diggia reflected. “We had the pace, but it’s been a bit of a roller coaster.”
“In the race, I faced some brake issues; they weren’t consistent with every braking. So, I had to gauge my braking, which unfortunately led to accelerated wear on the front tire.”
“However, finishing in seventh place in such a challenging race should make us happy. It shows our strength and potential for this year. Plus, it’s only my first race with this team.”
“So, it’s a promising start. Leaving here with a big smile… Last year, I would have gladly taken seventh!”
di Giannantonio, the standout performer of the 2023 season, began last year’s campaign in Portimao in 16th place, last in the Sprint, before retiring from the grand prix.
His teammate, Marco Bezzecchi, crossed the finish line in 14th place in Qatar on Sunday.
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