Fabio di Giannantonio, the VR46 Ducati MotoGP rider, described the British Grand Prix as a “missed opportunity.” He expressed that if given the chance to do things differently, they definitely would. Throughout the Spanish and French Grand Prix weekends, his season showed little progress, despite a strong start to his 2025 campaign with Ducati.
At the British Grand Prix, Di Giannantonio found a bike setup closer to what he needed to regain his competitive pace. This improvement helped him reach the podium in the Silverstone sprint race, but in the main Grand Prix, he finished 9th due to brake issues that made it easier for other riders to overtake him.
He explained, “The bike felt great, so it feels like we missed an opportunity. We worked incredibly all weekend, but when the race began, I struggled with the brakes.” He noted that braking was very difficult, causing him to lose many positions as other riders overtook him effortlessly.
Di Giannantonio believes they had the pace to compete for the podium as they did in the sprint race and emphasized the need to analyze what went wrong. Despite the setback, he highlighted the positives, stating, “We have made a significant improvement with the bike, and the overall feel is much better now. I’m frustrated today, but I’m focusing on the positives.”
He chose medium front tires during the race, while the winning riders used soft front tires in the cool conditions, a decision he would reconsider with hindsight. He also mentioned that other Ducati riders performed better on medium tires, indicating the tires weren’t the root issue but rather the braking power. He aims to fix the braking performance to match the sprint race.
Fan Take: This update sheds light on the intricate challenges riders face beyond raw speed, highlighting the crucial role bike setup and braking play in race outcomes. For racing fans, Di Giannantonio’s ability to bounce back and improve signals thrilling potential for Ducati’s competitiveness and more intense racing battles ahead.
