Fabio di Giannantonio MotoGP responsibility was highlighted after the Italian endured one of his most challenging weekends at the Czech MotoGP held in Brno. After showing strong competitiveness at the Sachsenring just one week prior, di Giannantonio struggled throughout the three days in the Czech Republic and failed to contend for top positions.
The VR46 Ducati rider began his weekend poorly by finishing 16th in the rain-affected Friday practice, followed by 13th in qualifying. A problematic clutch at the start of Saturday’s Sprint race dropped him down the field. Later, a concerning front-end issue contributed to a crash midway through the Sprint while he was outside points contention.
During Sunday’s grand prix, di Giannantonio’s difficulties continued. He fell to 17th place early on and only advanced one position after Tech3 KTM’s Enea Bastianini crashed. Di Giannantonio eventually finished 24.729 seconds behind race winner Marc Marquez, lagging over 20 seconds behind fellow Ducati factory rider Francesco Bagnaia, who secured fourth place.
Di Giannantonio Accepts Full Responsibility Without Offering Excuses
Di Giannantonio openly admitted the weekend’s harsh realities, refusing to blame external factors. He stated,
“Definitely [a tough weekend],”
and insisted on owning the team’s challenges.
“I don’t want to find excuses. For sure, my feeling with the bike was not fantastic. But I want to take all the responsibility because I think the rider is the leader of the team.”
He acknowledged a lack of precision compared to his usual standards, attributing the poor performance to himself.
“Maybe it’s because of the conditions and everything, but I just want to say it’s my responsibility that we didn’t have the package to fight today and overall in the weekend.”
Di Giannantonio expressed a forward-looking attitude, saying:
“So a pity. But we have a lot of time now to regroup, refocus and work on ourselves.”
Rejecting Fatigue as a Factor in Performance Decline
Despite the busy schedule with four races in five weekends and the twelfth round of the season, di Giannantonio dismissed fatigue as a reason for his subpar form in Brno. He explained,
“I like to be objective and I never want to find things outside of my control,”
adding,
“All the other riders are in the same boat. So I have to be better than the others. And I haven’t done it.”
Reflection on Crash and Front-End Issues During Sprint and Grand Prix
When questioned about the front-end problems that caused his Sprint crash and affected his race Sunday, di Giannantonio suggested that a bit of misfortune was involved.
“Let’s say we had a bit of bad luck yesterday. It happened a particular thing, that I cannot say, but maybe it could have helped us to have done a proper Sprint, to understand better that we were in the wrong direction. But I had to sort it out a little earlier anyway.”
Confidence Remains Undiminished Despite Setbacks
Though di Giannantonio’s results in Brno starkly contrasted his recent top-six finishes across several prior rounds, he maintained confidence in his abilities.
“It’s not that I’m not in top shape or something,”
he said, emphasizing the complexity of MotoGP weekends where riding and technical feedback must align precisely.
“In today’s MotoGP, where a tenth makes the difference between 1st and 10th, you have to be really precise.”
He also pointed out that his team understands the gap compared to Sachsenring and knows what adjustments are needed to restart the season stronger.
“We know what’s changed compared to Sachsenring. We know exactly what we have to do to restart the season. It’s just been an off weekend for me and for us.”
Plans to Recharge During Summer Break Before Red Bull Ring
Looking ahead to the upcoming summer break, di Giannantonio plans to take time away from racing to recover mentally and physically.
“I guess the good thing is that there is also life apart from racing,”
he said with a smile. He intends to spend time with family, go on holiday with his girlfriend, and visit his grandfather, promising to return motivated and ready to perform.
“So I will absolutely spend a really good break – and try to be the best Diggia possible for restarting the season.”
Team Dynamics and World Championship Standings
Meanwhile, di Giannantonio’s teammate Franco Morbidelli missed the Czech Grand Prix due to a shoulder injury sustained in Germany. Both VR46 Ducati riders have now fallen behind Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi in the world championship standings, as ten rounds remain in the season. This shift adds pressure on the VR46 duo to rebound in upcoming races.
