FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO SAYS HE MUST LEARN MARC MARQUEZ’S “PERFECT” WEEKEND FORMULA

Fabio Di Giannantonio says he is actively trying to learn the kind of “perfect” race-weekend execution that has made Marc Marquez such a benchmark within Ducati’s ranks. Speaking in the Misano paddock ahead of the San Marino GP, the VR46 rider explained that while he believes he has been consistent on paper, the missing piece is the ability to deliver flawless weekends at the very top level.

Di Giannantonio pointed to what he sees in the standings: “Looking at the standings, it seems as though I’m very consistent – but what I’m lacking is consistency right at the very top.” He added that he does not feel he is currently matching Marquez’s level of overall performance: “I don’t feel I’m quite there in that respect.”

The Italian then narrowed down the gap to execution across qualifying and race days. “What I can’t manage is to pull everything off perfectly, from a perfect qualifying session to perfect races without any mistakes. Marc, on the other hand, manages to do that. He has the ability to put in perfect weekends. That’s something I still need to learn and keep working on.”

Marquez’s ability to turn weekends into near-maximum results has kept him close to the front of the championship fight. The sources noted that the Spaniard has already produced a “perfect” 37-point race weekend three times this season, a run of form that has helped keep Jorge Martin within reach in the MotoGP standings. Di Giannantonio, meanwhile, remains in the hunt but is still chasing the leaders: ahead of this weekend at Misano, he is 48 points behind.

With Ducati’s internal hierarchy also reflected in the rider order, Di Giannantonio described Marquez as the only Ducati rider ahead of him in the standings, underscoring why he is focusing on Marquez’s strengths. The report also referenced Marquez’s Ducati setup approach, including the idea that he can set the bike up for “one-and-a-half arms,” while still delivering dominant results.

Turning to Misano itself, Di Giannantonio expects a challenging weekend despite the extra backing he will receive from local fans. “Of course, we Italians always get a certain extra push from the fans here in Misano – but I still expect a pretty tough weekend,” he said. He also acknowledged that this year’s racing has not always made it easy to label tracks as belonging to a specific manufacturer: “Admittedly, there have been situations this year where you couldn’t clearly say, ‘This is an Aprilia track’ or ‘This is a Ducati track,’ most recently in Aragon.”

Still, he believes the front requires everything to line up. “To be at the very front here, everything really has to go perfectly for me. But of course – we’ll give it our all.”