Fabio Di Giannantonio Identifies Key Areas for Ducati's 2026 MotoGP Bike Improvement
After a season of inconsistent results, Fabio Di Giannantonio is pinpointing the areas that need improvement on the 2026 Ducati MotoGP bike. Despite occasional podium finishes, Di Giannantonio has struggled to consistently secure top-six positions, failing to score a single point in Brno. His challenges have been somewhat overshadowed by Francesco Bagnaia's struggles, but Di Giannantonio's performance this year has mirrored his compatriot's unpredictability.
Looking ahead to the 2026 model, Di Giannantonio is particularly focused on enhancing the bike's front-end performance. He believes that the bike's high potential for speed can be fully realized with a more responsive front end, allowing for greater control and the ability to push harder.
"The front is the area we need to work on because the bike is incredibly fast, but we need to improve the front to have a more honest feeling where we can truly push," Di Giannantonio stated on Thursday at the Valencia MotoGP. "The MotoGP bike has incredible potential, and you can go very fast, but if you don't feel it, it's challenging to extract the bike's maximum potential."
Di Giannantonio further explained that the poor front-end feel on the 2025 Desmosedici model hinders his ability to find speed during a race weekend, especially when his natural riding style isn't generating lap times. He noted, "The general feeling is that the front end lacks feedback. When you ride naturally at high speeds, everything becomes easier. However, when you're not naturally fast and need to find speed from the bike, it's a real challenge this year because you don't get that feeling."
A "Solid" Start in Valencia
Despite the season's inconsistencies, Di Giannantonio had a strong start to the Valencia weekend, finishing seventh in Practice and advancing directly to Q2. He was particularly pleased with his pace on used tires, believing he had more to offer over a single lap.
"It's been a solid day," he said after the Practice session on Friday. "The race pace was good, and we were strong with the race tires. Additionally, the time attack was decent at the end; it wasn't my best lap, but it was enough to secure a spot in Q2. So, that's positive."
Despite the positive start, Di Giannantonio is cautious about maintaining that feeling on Saturday. He reflects on past experiences where the feeling from Friday to Saturday can change, but he remains confident in the team's ability to perform well on Saturday.
"We took the good aspects from two years ago when we last arrived here, and it seems the bike is working quite well," the VR46 Racing Team rider said. "I'm always a bit nervous on Friday, as we've experienced many times that the feeling can shift from Friday to Saturday. However, I'm confident that we will be strong tomorrow as well."
Peter, a paddock veteran with 20 years of experience, has witnessed the rise and fall of Valentino Rossi and is at the center of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez's injury issues.
