In Indonesia, Fabio Di Giannantonio shows his best MotoGP weekend and finishes fourth – The Italian wants to show his critics and prove his talent
After the Indonesian Grand Prix, Fabio Di Giannantoino shed tears at Parc ferme as the best rider in a satellite team. Fourth place was by far the best result in the Italian’s MotoGP career.
“I am jubilant and proud,” he said of his hussar ride. “I had a good start, but then it got very close with Marc [Marquez]. At the wheelie I had to close the throttle. I made a mistake and was only 15th after the first lap.”
“I said to myself, ‘Shit, a disaster!’ But it was a long race with 27 laps. I had to stay focused because I had a good pace. I was just trying to feel the bike and myself. I had a crazy pace.”
“I went very fast and didn’t really risk anything. That was very good because I had more room to move. Then I could overtake more and more people. I also managed the front tyre well, I had the soft front tyre.”
Di Giannantonio worked his way through the field, overtaking more and more riders. From lap 18 onwards he held fourth place. “To tell you the truth, I had a super race,” laughed the 25-year-old. “We are working very well. Everything is right at the moment.”
“There is a lot of work in the background. It’s never easy when you do your best, but the results don’t come for reasons you only know yourself. You have doubts. You work, give it your all, but nothing comes. Giving up would be easy. “
“We stayed very focused and worked like mules. It wasn’t a win now, it wasn’t a podium, but I had a great race. Being seen at Parc ferme had an effect on me. It’s like a breath of fresh air. I needed that.”
Last year, his rookie season, an eighth place was the only top-10 result. In addition, “Diggia” attracted attention with the pole position in Mugello. This season he managed to improve. His results got better.
Di Giannantonio finished in the top 10 six times this year, his best result so far being two eighth places. Now Indonesia was his best weekend. After sixth place in the sprint, he achieved this fourth place in the Grand Prix.
Did the fourth place come too late for his future?
And on the very weekend that Gresini-Ducati announced Marc Marquez. Has fourth come too late in the season for Di Giannantonio? Gresini had an option on him, which they ultimately didn’t take.
“It’s a bit of a shame. We needed confidence and patience,” says the Italian. “It’s like we had everything set up, we were almost there, but then everything comes to an end. But with confidence and patience we made it. “
“It would be a nice story, of course, but let’s wait and see. Who knows what the future will bring. At the moment it’s okay. I don’t want to think about ifs and buts. I’m enjoying the moment and working for myself.”
Di Giannantonio has made it clear in recent weeks that he wants to stay in MotoGP. Good places in other series have already been taken in the autumn. In MotoGP, only one place would still be free at Honda.
First and foremost, the Roman wants to recommend himself with further good performances: “We are at the top of our sport. There are not many places. If you don’t do well, you get replaced. I understand that. I work for myself first and foremost and I want to prove it to those who doubted me. “
