Fabio Di Giannantonio competed in the top tier on track

Fabio Di Giannantonio achieved a podium in the qualifying session of the first half of the 2026 season but showed a decline in performance in the second half. In the last four Grand Prix races, the VR46-Ducati rider did not finish in the top five in the main races. Before the race, the rider stated that he would do everything to return to the top.

Pre-Race Performance Analysis

The rider's situation was assessed during the race at the Motegi track on Sunday. While the rider qualified in ninth place in FP1, he was under the radar during the afternoon timing and failed to secure a Q2 position. However, at the end of the race, the rider finished approximately four tenths behind on the last lap. Di Giannantonio evaluated the reasons for this situation.

In their words

I did not have the perfect feel before the race, so we made a change to the setup for the afternoon.

The rider spoke about a development regarding the timing. Stating that the timing was a positive day, the rider expressed that he did not have a completely perfect feel during the morning hours. Therefore, he stated that a change was made to the setup in the afternoon. The rider mentioned that they spent more time improving the engine and tires but managed to reach Q2 position. He reported that he made a good lap with soft tires on the last lap, made mistakes, and hit the yellow flag, but the feel returned and he was able to make a good lap. The rider predicted that the time gaps before the race were very narrow and that everyone would gain some more time for the Saturday races. During the conversation, he emphasized that the rider needed to focus and start as far ahead as possible.

Goals for the Second Half

Fabio Di Giannantonio expressed his desire to return to the top in the second half. The rider emphasized that he would do everything to return to the top before the race. He stated that the preparation before the race is important and that starting in the best possible position is critical. This situation highlights the decline in the rider's current performance.

Statements

Fabio Di Giannantonio stated that he did not have a completely perfect feel before the the race, which is why a change was made to the setup in the afternoon, that they spent more time improving the engine and tires but managed to reach Q2 position, that he made a good lap with soft tires on the last lap, made mistakes, and hit the yellow flag but the feel returned and he was able to make a good lap. Furthermore, he mentioned that the time gaps before the race were very narrow, that everyone would gain some more time for the Saturday races, that they needed to focus before the race, and that they should start as far ahead as possible.

Figures

• Fabio Di Giannantonio finished in 5th place with 230 points in the 2026 MotoGP season (Team VR46).
• Archive: Fabio Di Giannantonio Podestplätze Sichern (September 30, 2026)

Compiled by Şükrü Utku Poyraz