Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio di Giannantonio returned to the MotoGP podium at the Grand Prix of the Americas last weekend. It was his first top-three finish on a Sunday since he won in Qatar in 2023.
Di Giannantonio looked both exhausted and emotional at the end of the 19-lap race. He missed the end of the 2024 season due to shoulder surgery and was ruled out of most of testing after he broke his collarbone performing a wheelie.
But he showed signs in Austin that he’s returning to his best form, even if his shoulder continues to cause him discomfort. He qualified a season-best second, and while he slipped behind Alex Marquez and eventual race-winner Francesco Bagnaia, he prospered from Marc Marquez’s mistake out front.
24 hours earlier, Di Giannantonio was incensed by the events of the Sprint race. He clawed his way back to fourth after dropping to seventh at the start, but he felt he should have scored a podium.
Fabio di Giannantonio was seen kicking things in VR46 garage amid Franco Morbidelli rage
Diggia’s frustrations were twofold. One, he felt his GP25 had malfunctioned off the line, and two, he rued the time he’d lost in a battle with teammate Franco Morbidelli.
While the two riders are on different specifications, the performance gap is minimal at the moment with the development race yet to truly kick in. Just 11 points separate them after the first three rounds, with Morbidelli ahead.
According to journalist Neil Morrison, who was speaking on the Paddock Pass podcast, Di Giannantonio couldn’t contain his anger in the VR46 garage on Saturday evening. He didn’t think that Morbidelli had put the interests of the team first.
“He was very, very p—— off yesterday, maybe not so much when he came to speak to us in the media centre – he’d calmed down a bit by then,” Morrison said. “I did try and prod him on multiple occasions.
“I’d heard from certain people at Dorna that they’d seen kick certain things in the garage after coming back from the Sprint, and mutter a couple of profanities under his breath.
“He was really angry that Franco had messed with him in the early laps and stopped him getting onto the back of that fight for the podium, but accepted that it is what it is and we’re all out there racing.”
VR46 believe they’re about to sign Pedro Acosta – who will he replace?
Di Giannantonio is third in the Ducati hierarchy behind Marquez and Bagnaia. That could give him the platform to win multiple races this year, but it also comes with added expectation.
Morbidelli moved to VR46 from Pramac after struggling through an injury-affected 2024 season. He too ended a long podium drought in Argentina.
Intriguingly, rumours claim VR46 have a pre-agreement with Pedro Acosta. With confidence growing all the time, they’re ready to uncork the champagne bottles.
Which rider would he replace? Di Giannantonio is seemingly protected by Ducati support, but they could favour the prodigious Acosta.
Meanwhile, Morbidelli has been called the Lance Stroll of MotoGP due to his powerful connections. He’s a product of Valentino Rossi’s academy, and The Doctor could fight to keep him on board.
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