Fabio di Giannantonio believes that the days of guaranteed Ducati dominance at certain MotoGP circuits are over, following the manufacturer’s unexpected struggles at the Red Bull Ring.
For years, Ducati had a near-lock on victories at the Austrian track, winning at least one race there annually since 2016. However, this streak ended recently when Aprilia took the Sprint win and KTM claimed victory in the main race, with Ducati grappling with issues related to a stiffer rear tyre.
Looking ahead to the Motegi round in Japan, another venue where Ducati has been historically strong—having won the past seven races including Sprints—di Giannantonio is keeping expectations in check.
“I hope Motegi is a strong track for Ducati, but as we saw in Austria, these traditional strongholds don’t really exist anymore,” he explained. “Every time we go out, the competition is so tough that you can’t predict anything. You have to give everything every session to stay in the fight.”
The Italian rider also highlighted the added variables this weekend, including fresh asphalt at Motegi and a chance of rain, which could level the playing field even further.
“I’m excited to get started and see how the new conditions affect things. It’s a question mark for everyone, especially early on,” said di Giannantonio.
Heading into Motegi, di Giannantonio sits fifth in the world championship standings but is still searching for his first podium finish since the summer break. With MotoGP’s unpredictability growing, he knows that past performance is no guarantee for the future—but he’s eager to rise to the challenge.
