Fabio Di Giannantonio, fourth at Le Mans: "To keep up with the Aprilias, I would have needed to be at 120%."

Fabio Di Giannantonio didn't have the tools to compete with the three Aprilias this Sunday. From the very first laps, it was clear: keeping up with Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi would have required a commitment beyond his current limits, with the risk of losing everything. “When I started the race, I saw that to keep up with the Aprilias I would have needed to be at 120%, so I thought that might not be the right thing to do because I was risking too much. I preferred to maintain my maximum level throughout the race and try to do my best at the end.”

Thoughtful management allowed him to make a memorable overtake on the last lap to snatch fourth place, reproducing a maneuver he had performed in 2018. However, the identified deficit is precise: the Ducati suffers against the Aprilia in terms of precision at the entry of corners.

"Ducati has a much better front end than ours. They brake like us but with much more precision on corner entry. They can turn the bike right from the start using the brakes. And we struggle with that." This shortcoming has cascading consequences: by having to compensate with the rear what the front does not offer, the Italian degrades his rear tires more quickly — a vicious circle that will have to be broken to hope to compete with the Aprilias over the course of a race.

Regularity as a new strength

Despite this technical deficiency, Fabio Di Giannantonio points to a major change in his approach to the season. The inconsistency that characterized him last year seems to have given way to a consistency in results that keeps him in contention for the championship. “I’m really happy. I think I’m in the right place to show this. It’s a combination of several things: knowing the same bike for two years, and then the bike is much more predictable this year. These two elements together make me more confident. Then I can work a lot more on myself.”

Regarding his future, the VR46 rider remains evasive but hints that discussions are underway with his manager to clarify the situation: "I think it will be clearer for me later, perhaps in Barcelona." As for his status within Ducati — the best representative of the Italian brand at Le Mans — he humorously sidesteps the question: "I'm yellow. Those questions are for the red Ducati."

This dramatic turn of events speaks volumes about the mindset of a rider focused on his own performance, undistracted by the internal hierarchies of the manufacturer whose satellite colors he represents. While awaiting news about his future, the Italian will continue his season with VR46 starting next weekend at the Catalan Grand Prix.

ALSO READ >French GP: Jorge Martín returns to victory in MotoGP