Marco Bezzecchi
Fabio Di Giannantonio was able to push and test Marc Marquez in a way few other riders have in the past.
Diggia’s move on Marquez at Assen was nothing short of sensational, and it perfectly summed up the intense battle the two riders had.
Unlike many other riders who grew up watching Marc Marquez before he became their rivals, Fabio Di Giannantonio showed no fear when battling against one of the all-time greats.
Here’s our rider ratings after a chaotic Dutch Grand Prix! 👀 Which scores would you change?
Diggia managed to best Marquez and snatch fourth place away from him. And the Spaniard definitely took notice, as Marquez named Di Giannantonio among the title favourites this season.
Both Peter Bom and Mat Oxley heaped a lot of praise on Di Giannantonio for how he handled the battle with Marquez.
READ MORE: Marc Marquez names the MotoGP rider he’d have signed first as Ducati team manager
Mat Oxley names Fabio Di Giannantonio’s biggest asset that helps him compete against Marc Marquez
Speaking on the Oxley Bom podcast, both Mat Oxley and Peter Bom praised Fabio Di Giannantonio for the way he approached his battle with Marc Marquez.
They praised his courage, self-determination, and creativity when it came to attacking Marquez the same way he attacks other riders.
Oxley: “Di Gianantonio did a great job again. He just keeps doing the job. I love seeing him and Marc together.”
Bom: “He’s not afraid of Marc!”
Oxley: “I think Di Giannantonio really believes he can beat Marc, and obviously, today he did. But in general, you need a lot of self-belief to do that.
“Self-belief is an important thing in this game. Wow, he doesn’t hold back when it’s Marc. That’s a good sign from a rider.”
Bom: “That’s beautiful. If you attack Marc, don’t do it in a conventional way, because he’s been there and done it already. If you attack Marc, do it like Marc.”
READ MORE: Marc Marquez reacts to Marco Bezzecchi crashing out of the Dutch Grand Prix
The top five are now separated by just 40 points! Who is your pick for the 2026 title?
Marc Marquez cannot afford to take Fabio Di Giannantonio lightly
Even though he rides for Ducati’s satellite team (VR46), Fabio Di Giannantonio is showing he is a legitimate threat to anyone vying for the world championship.
Diggia currently sits third in the championship standings behind Aprilia riders Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, while Marc Marquez is in hot pursuit since returning.
And even though Marquez is still struggling with fitness issues, he is determined to push for another world championship this year.
Marquez didn’t want to leave the Dutch GP injured, so he curbed how much he would push the bike. This could be one of the reasons Diggia was able to get the better of him well.
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