Fabio Di Giannantonio strongly criticized his VR46 Ducati teammate Franco Morbidelli for a series of reckless overtakes that disrupted his performance during the Indonesian MotoGP Sprint. The incident occurred as both riders finished closely in seventh and eighth place, with Morbidelli just ahead of Di Giannantonio, who believes he could have achieved a better result without the interference.
Di Giannantonio Reflects on the Sprint Performance and Team Tensions
Di Giannantonio expressed satisfaction with the progress made during the weekend, noting improvements from the morning session. Despite feeling confident about the bike setup and the potential to finish higher, he was frustrated that Morbidelli’s aggressive moves impacted his race negatively.
“Actually, I’m really happy about the step that we made from this morning, the bike was working really good,”
Di Giannantonio said after the Sprint in Indonesia.
He added,
“I think we had the pace to be a little more in front in terms of position. Unfortunately, my teammate ruined again one of my races with stupid overtakes.”
At the time of his remarks, Di Giannantonio had not yet discussed the Sprint with Morbidelli, but he confirmed such a conversation was inevitable, as the team would require them to address the issue directly.
“For sure, we are teammates, so the team will make us speak, 100 per cent,”
he stated.
Overall Progress and Technical Adjustments on a Low-Grip Track
Despite the conflict, Di Giannantonio was broadly optimistic about his Saturday performance at Mandalika. He acknowledged that his final eighth-place result came after a penalty affected another rider, Luca Marini, who was penalized for violating front tyre pressure regulations.
“We have to be happy because at the end we had the potential to do a good job,”
Di Giannantonio noted.
Looking ahead to the main race, his goal is to continue building on the improvements made.
“So, for tomorrow also, my aim is to continue to improve and to be more in front.”
Di Giannantonio explained that his better performance was partly due to a notable change in the bike’s balance compared to the previous day. He described the Indonesian circuit as having a lower grip level this year, posing a challenge in maintaining control.
“The balance of the bike has changed quite a lot,”
he said.
“For sure, this track is a track where the grip level is really low. Actually, last year was not that bad but this year it seems that the grip level is worse, so less grip.”
To adapt, the team adjusted the setup to enhance rear grip, hoping this would deliver better handling for the race.
“So, we just changed the balance of the bike, to go in a direction where the grip is increasing on the rear.”
Implications for Team Dynamics and Upcoming Races
The public criticism by Di Giannantonio highlights growing tension within the VR46 Ducati team, underscoring how intra-team conflicts can affect rider focus and race outcomes. With both riders competing closely, the team faces pressure to manage their relationship effectively to avoid compromising future results.
As the weekend’s main event approaches, how the teammates reconcile and collaborate will likely influence their respective performances and the overall team strategy in the MotoGP season ahead.
