Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Di Giannantonio’s hopes of a strong result at the Hungarian Grand Prix were dashed immediately before the race had even started.
The VR46 rider was diverted to the pit lane due to a technical issue, which forced him to switch bikes just seconds before lights out.
After scoring a sprint podium the day prior, it was gutting to see his hopes dashed by a problem out of his own control. Di Giannantonio deserved a little more luck.
He has now slipped to seventh in the MotoGP standings as he continues to battle a GP25 bike that only Marc Marquez seems to be able to maximise.
Di Giannantonio thinks MotoGP have created a problem by bunching so many races close together, offering little chance for recovery.
However, Pedro Acosta told Di Giannantonio to lighten up and believes that he should focus on his own racing, particularly after a public spat around their seats for the future earlier in the campaign.
Fabio Di Giannantonio left Pablo Nieto ‘bitter’ after Hungarian Grand Prix performance
Di Giannantonio was desperate for a Ducati upgrade not long ago, but hasn’t found much form since. In his last four races, he hasn’t finished higher than 15th.
On a Ducati bike, that’s a poor return, and he knows it. His sprint results suggest that he does have speed, but he just needs to harness it a little better over the longer format.
Hungary was his real chance to stamp some authority down with a strong result and climb back to fifth in the standings.
But the racing gods had other ideas, forcing him to peel into the pit lane before the start of the race. It was an agonising watch for his team and fans.
VR46 team manager Pablo Nieto admitted after the race that the outcome left him feeling ‘bitter’ about the weekend, knowing that they missed out on a big points haul.
“It was frustrating, because we came from a great Saturday and we had everything ready to fight in front. But when a problem of this type arises, little can be done. It’s the bitter part of this sport,” he told MOTOSAN.
Why the Hungarian Grand Prix was an excellent sign for Fabio Di Giannantonio
Di Giannantonio has been held back by some mistakes and his own poor luck this season. His crash in Germany was a big missed opportunity.
He was on for a podium at the Sachsenring, and that retirement triggered his current barren run of form, which has seen him score 18 points in his last four events.
His best result of the campaign was third, achieved twice at COTA and Mugello, but he beat that at Balaton Park by finishing second behind Marc Marquez in the sprint.
Even if the Grand Prix didn’t go as planned, he has built some momentum and will be hoping to kick on across the final eight races of the season. The potential for more podiums is there.
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