Fabio di Giannantonio admits that Ducati’s historic dominance at certain MotoGP tracks can no longer be taken for granted after the manufacturer’s surprise struggles at the Red Bull Ring. Ducati, previously unbeaten at the Austrian circuit since its 2016 return, was defeated by Aprilia (Sprint) and KTM (GP) last time out, exposing vulnerabilities—especially with the stiffer-construction rear tyre.
Looking ahead to Motegi, another circuit where Ducati has won the last seven races (including Sprints), di Giannantonio remains cautious. “I really hope that it will be a strong Ducati [track] here, but we experienced already that these things don’t really exist anymore,” he said. “Austria too had to be a Ducati track—but that’s the good thing about MotoGP, every time you go on track you don’t really know 100% what will happen.”
With Motegi’s resurfaced asphalt and potential for rain adding more unpredictability, di Giannantonio stressed the need for maximum effort: “You always have to give 100% because the competition is really high. So to be again a Ducati track, we must be really competitive overall and we must do a super job.”
As the overseas leg of the season begins, di Giannantonio sits fifth in the world championship—but is still chasing his first podium since the summer break.
