Fabio Di Giannantonio “working with Ducati” to work on key MotoGP inconsistency
Fabio Di Giannantonio converted a front row start to a Valencia MotoGP Sprint podium.
A Sprint podium at the Valencia MotoGP came after Fabio Di Giannantonio’s second front row qualifying of 2025, but the Italian still had to fight forwards.
Di Giannantonio had a poor start, and dropped to fifth early on, then passing Fabio Quartararo and Raul Fernandez in the 13-lap MotoGP Sprint to claim a first Saturday podium since he was third at Misano.
But the VR46 Racing Team rider indicated after the race that the start was a symptom of something he, the team, and Ducati has been trying to solve all year.
“We are trying to work a lot with Ducati because the start for our bike is pretty inconsistent – like the feeling this year, let’s say,” Fabio Di Giannantonio said after the Sprint.
“So, we are trying to improve this.
“Today, unfortunately, the start was bad, we lost some positions, and it was difficult then to stay close to Pedro [Acosta] and Alex [Marquez].”
On the start itself, he added: “You never know until you release the clutch, let’s say.
“So, we are trying to understand how is the better preparation to have a constant performance at the start, but still we are not there; because this morning I did the best start of Ducati of this weekend after the QP [qualifying], and then in the race was maybe the [worst], and my manoeuvre was the same. Anyway, we have to improve.”
Di Giannantonio was not the only front row starter to have a bad start in the Valencia Sprint, Marco Bezzecchi going from pole to sixth early on, recovering in the end only to fifth, after a holeshot device issue.
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