BAGNAIA AND DI GIANNANTONIO TARGET STRONG QATAR SHOWINGS AMID RECENT SETBACKS

MotoGP heads to Lusail for the Qatar Grand Prix after a difficult Malaysian round for Pecco Bagnaia and a frustrating top-speed deficit for Fabio Di Giannantonio. The event will go ahead despite safety concerns and discussion surrounding the situation in the Gulf region.

Bagnaia arrives looking to make the most of the final three races of the season, with rounds in Qatar, Portimão and Valencia remaining before he leaves Ducati for Aprilia’s factory team in 2027. In Malaysia, he finished sixth in the sprint but could manage only 13th in the Grand Prix, unable to find the pace he wanted from his Desmosedici. He is ninth in the championship on 173 points.

Lusail has been a happier venue for the Italian: he has won there in both Moto2 and MotoGP, and last year finished eighth and second in the two races. He believes the circuit should suit Ducati, while acknowledging the challenge of the season’s closing stretch. “Qatar is another really beautiful track, but it is very demanding at this stage of the season,” Bagnaia said. “It’s a circuit where the Desmosedici GP has always shown its best, and where I have always been very competitive. We’ll keep working hard to get closer to the front group.”

Di Giannantonio also has strong memories of Lusail, having won there in 2023 with Gresini Ducati, though last year’s main race ended with him caught up in a crash involving then-world champion Jorge Martin. The VR46 rider said he would rather focus on the positives. “I have many great memories, but also bad ones, from Doha. Let’s talk about the good things. We know we can win here. Every time is a new challenge. We can be fast here, and with nothing left to lose before the end of the season, we want to fight for the podium and enjoy it with the team.”

He described the night-time, floodlit event as distinctive, but said he wanted to approach it like any other weekend. Track conditions may change between sessions, he added, and the tyres differ from those used last year. Di Giannantonio is sixth in the standings, 13 points behind fifth-placed Ai Ogura, with a move to KTM planned for 2027.

One immediate concern is the Ducati’s straight-line speed. In Sepang, Di Giannantonio was reportedly up to 12 km/h slower than rivals on the straight. Asked about the shortfall, he replied: “That is certainly a disadvantage, but I can’t control it! You’ll have to ask someone else. I’m the same as I was at the test in Malaysia at the start of the year. Here, in 2025, I was also one of the fastest on the straight. I haven’t put on any extra kilos either — it’s still me on the bike.”