DI GIANNANTONIO SAYS MARC MARQUEZ IS BRINGING DUCATI CLOSER TO APRILIA AT MISANO

Fabio di Giannantonio believes Marc Marquez’s work on the Ducati is closing a gap to Aprilia, after the VR46 rider said he again had to ride right at the limit of his own RS-GP package during Saturday’s MotoGP Sprint at Misano. Di Giannantonio spent much of the race in podium contention before Jorge Martin surged through, leaving the Italian fourth at the chequered flag.

Speaking after the Sprint, di Giannantonio said he felt he had extracted the maximum from the bike, while also pointing to qualifying as the area where he could still improve. “I think I squeezed the maximum from our package. I could have done better in qualifying, because I was already 1.5 tenths faster when I crashed,” he said. “But then in the race, it was the maximum.”

The VR46 rider also admitted he remains frustrated by how often he has to operate at the edge, particularly with the front end. “I'm still complaining a little bit that I'm always on the limit with the front,” he explained. In his view, the Aprilia advantage is not only down to the machinery but also to how well the riders and bikes are currently matching the demands of the track. “And the Aprilias are just better than us at the moment, the riders and bikes.”

Di Giannantonio then focused on what he sees in Marquez’s Ducati performances and the development behind them. “Then Marc is doing an incredible job,” he said. “For sure Marc is Marc, but also seems that the development that he's doing is better than us.” From there, he drew a direct comparison in terms of performance level. “So we have to improve, we have to learn, and we have to try to be better.”

He added that Marquez appears to be able to bring the Ducati closer to Aprilia’s current benchmark. “It seems that he can put the Ducati at the level of the Aprilia, so we must learn from him as always.” Di Giannantonio also underlined that Aprilia remains the primary reference point in the title fight, while Marquez cannot be discounted. “For sure, I always count the Aprilia as the main contenders. Then Marc, you can never discount him.”

On the technical side, di Giannantonio described why Misano’s fast sections expose differences between the bikes. He said the RS-GPs have a clear advantage through the circuit’s quicker corners, with Curvone highlighted as a key example. He also explained that braking and line preparation are where he feels the gap most sharply. “The entry with the brakes: They can do much more trail braking and preparing well the line, and me I can't, because every time I try to hold the brakes doing a proper line, I lose the front,” he said.

To cope with the limitations he feels at the front, Di Giannantonio said he has been forced into a different riding style, especially in the fast corners. “At the moment, I'm riding much more supermotard style, let's say. I have to do really [sideways] angles into the corners. Especially in the fast corners, then you lose double, so that's the main difference at the moment.”

He reiterated that improving the front of the bike is a consistent priority. “We have to improve the front of the bike, I always said it.” At the same time, he acknowledged Marquez’s ability to make the Ducati work effectively. “But also, for sure, Marc is Marc, he's doing a good job.”

With Sunday’s grand prix next, Di Giannantonio heads into the race fourth in the world championship, 49 points behind Martin. He said the gap is significant but not decisive, stressing that the mathematics still leave room to fight. “Because I just lost one point from the first position [Martin]. 49 points is a lot, but still the mathematics don't kick me out. So until we are out, we have to push, we have to believe, we have to work, try to be better.”

Di Giannantonio also framed his own position as part of the ongoing battle for the front. “I'm one of these guys that can be inside of the battle,” he said. “And after today, I think it would be crazy to not believe that we can do it.”