DI GIANNANTONIO CHARGES FROM EIGHTH TO AUSTRALIAN SPRINT PODIUM

Fabio Di Giannantonio turned a difficult starting position into a third-place finish in the Australian MotoGP sprint, celebrating a podium at a circuit he considers especially meaningful.

The VR46 rider started eighth after a rain-affected qualifying session and dropped one place on the opening lap. He then began working his way forward: by lap five he had passed local favourite Jack Miller, and soon afterwards he moved ahead of Pedro Acosta. Jorge Martin’s crash while chasing Marc Marquez also helped Di Giannantonio gain a position.

The Italian said the result was no surprise given his pace earlier in the weekend. “The starting position made the race more complicated for us, but we knew we were fast,” he said, pointing to his strong Friday practice on used tyres. He explained that qualifying had been disrupted when he caught Ai Ogura making a mistake while Di Giannantonio was on a good lap, costing him a place on the second row. “We knew we had potential. But putting that potential into practice is different from simply having it.”

Di Giannantonio tried to close on Marc and Alex Marquez, but had to manage his front tyre and contend with the wind while keeping an eye on Marco Bezzecchi. The Aprilia rider finished less than half a second behind him. “I pushed to keep moving forward, but I also had to be careful not to get passed myself,” Di Giannantonio said.

Phillip Island’s significance made the podium particularly satisfying. “A podium place is always important, but at this track it means a little more to me,” he said. “Whenever we come here, I try to get a little more out of myself.” He also described the circuit as “magical” during the podium celebrations.

With rain possible for Sunday’s race, Di Giannantonio said he felt encouraged by his wet-weather performance in Saturday morning’s conditions. “It’s been a while since I’ve felt this comfortable in the rain,” he said. He noted that wet races seem longer than dry ones and said the team would aim to give the riders at the front a strong fight.