Fabio di Giannantonio experienced a major disappointment at the Hungarian MotoGP when a technical malfunction prevented him from starting on his original third-place grid position, forcing him to begin the race from the pit lane. This sudden setback destroyed his chances of securing a podium finish despite a strong qualifying performance.
During the sighting lap, di Giannantonio’s Desmosedici GP25 suffered a critical loss of power, which his VR46 crew and Ducati engineers attempted but failed to fix. The problem reoccurred on the warm-up lap, leaving him no choice but to switch to his backup bike and start from the pit lane instead of the front rows.
“Unfortunately, already on the sighting lap, the bike was lacking power,”
di Giannantonio said.
The Ducati technicians tried to analyze what was going on. We believed everything was working, but then I had the same issue on the warm-up lap. So I had to start from the pit lane with the second bike.”
Challenging Conditions and Race Performance after the Pit Lane Start
Starting on the backup bike, di Giannantonio also faced difficulties with his tire choices, as the soft front and medium rear setup was not ideal. Despite these disadvantages, he demonstrated strong determination, managing to record the ninth fastest lap during the race. However, he lost significant time early on, dropping 16 seconds behind in the opening lap and eventually crossed the finish line in 15th place, more than 26 seconds behind the race winner, Marc Marquez.
Impact of Setback on Championship Standings and Reflections on the Weekend
The pit lane start had a notable effect on di Giannantonio’s overall standing in the MotoGP World Championship. He slipped two positions, falling from fifth to seventh place, now trailing KTM’s Pedro Acosta and VR46 teammate Franco Morbidelli in the rankings. Without this issue, he might have finished as high as fourth in the race.
“We had a great weekend, we did a good job, and we’re finally starting to understand this Desmosedici GP25. It’s a pity about the race, but that’s racing. I’m proud of my team; they’re doing an excellent job. We have to be happy and take the positives.”
—Fabio di Giannantonio
Looking Ahead: The Quest for Recovery in Upcoming Races
As the season continues, di Giannantonio and his team face the challenge of overcoming this difficult race and proving their resilience. The MotoGP community now watches closely to see if the Italian rider and his crew can bounce back stronger in future events, learning from this setback and aiming for better results in the championship as the season unfolds.
