Following Francesco Bagnaia’s flawless performance at Motegi, attention now turns to whether VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio will soon benefit from the GP25 parts that notably boosted Bagnaia’s results. Di Giannantonio has faced challenges maintaining consistent pace aboard this year’s factory-spec Ducati, with race finishes fluctuating between second and sixteenth place.
Mixed Results and Technical Challenges Affecting Di Giannantonio’s Season
Although di Giannantonio has encountered distinct front-end issues compared to Bagnaia, he has shown competitiveness at certain circuits like Balaton Park and Misano, where the double world champion struggled. However, after finishing 13th in both races at Motegi—where Bagnaia ended a ten-race podium drought by dominating with his upgraded bike—di Giannantonio is eager to test the revised GP25 components promptly.
When questioned about receiving the new parts for the Indonesian MotoGP at Mandalika, the Italian was cautious in his response.
“We’ll see. I’m sure that Ducati will give us the best package possible,”
di Giannantonio stated.
“For sure, they understood many, many other things. So let’s see if we can have these kinds of pieces and try to make a step forward, especially in terms of consistency of results in these last five rounds.”
Details on Bagnaia’s Motorbike Adjustments and Di Giannantonio’s Awareness
Bagnaia reverted to using some older elements on his bike—believed to include forks, swingarm, rear seat, and possibly a ride height device—to regain confidence in braking and corner entry, contributing to his recent turnaround. Despite his success, Bagnaia chose not to elaborate on the technical changes, describing himself simply as “just a rider.”
Di Giannantonio confirmed his knowledge of the modifications made to Bagnaia’s machine but refrained from sharing specifics with the media.
“For sure it’s in the interests of everybody on the team, on Ducati and on me for sure to have the best bike possible to try to make podiums and wins,”
he explained.
“So we are working to try to have the best bike and if Pecco found something that we can use, we will do.”
Current Standings and Outlook for Di Giannantonio at Mandalika
This season, di Giannantonio has achieved two Grand Prix podiums along with three Sprint race podiums. Heading into the Mandalika MotoGP weekend, he sits seventh in the world championship standings, trailing his GP24 teammate Franco Morbidelli by just 14 points in fifth place. The upcoming rounds will be crucial for di Giannantonio to demonstrate progress, particularly if he gains access to the improvements that elevated Bagnaia’s performance.
