Until recently, we thought that the Ducati MotoGP, a bit like the Honda, was a reluctant machine that required a lot of experience and certain know-how to be competitive. On the other hand, the Yamaha was described as friendly, even going so far as to think that the exceptional performances of Johann Zarco and Fabio Quartararo upon their arrival in the premier Grand Prix category were almost “normal”…
But things continue to evolve and the gaps continue to narrow. fabio quartararo he himself said that he had to evolve his driving style towards more aggressiveness in order to get the most out of the current M1. Conversely, the MotoGP test which marked the start of the 2022 season in Valencia also showed that it was indeed a Ducati which achieved the best time in the general classification, but also that of the beginners.
On his handlebars, we find Fabio DiGiannantonio, ranked 22nd on the first day, 19th on the second and in the combined. Riding his GP 19 from a Gresini Racing team which is now flying on its own, he leads Raul Fernandez (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) 20th, Remy gardner (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) 22nd, Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Racing Team) 26th and Darryn binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team) 27th.
Better still, the young Italian finished, 3 tenths behind, just behind Jorge Martín who really cannot be described as a slow driver…
Of course, we should not draw any conclusions from this first test of the 2022 season, if only because of the wind that picked up over the hours, but even if this had no consequences, it was worth better to go on vacation finishing first rookie than last!
At the end of the first day, Fabio Di Giannantonio exclaimed: “Best day of my life!” The bike is simply fantastic because it has everything I've always looked for in a bike: The type of braking, the fluidity, the feeling in the middle of the corners, the corner exit, the power... It's all there. We still have a lot of work to do to be at the level of the best, but for now I'm delighted. I have to understand the tires well, understand how to work with the electronics, there are a lot of new things to focus on, but the starting point is not bad. »
Before returning to Italy, the 23-year-old Roman completed: “I'm really happy to have started testing this morning with the same level with which we left the track yesterday. So I was very happy because from the first run I was already as fast as the day before. We started working on the electronic side of the bike a little bit to try to figure out where to progress, with more power, less power, and all the controls. We started working in this area and in the end I improved my feeling. It's a shame that the day was ruined by the wind and it was a bit critical at times, because there was a lot of grip but also a lot of wind. Especially in fast corners, as MotoGPs now have wings it was difficult to control the bike in fast corners. But overall I'm super happy, because it was only my second day in MotoGP. »
Do you feel the need to prepare yourself physically for this category?
“Honestly, coming to Valencia I was very mentally tired. But now I don't want to stop because I started a new game. I would like to continue, whether there is a new test or maybe a race to continue learning. But yes, we now have the winter break and this is good to give the mind and body a little rest, before preparing for the new season. Of course I will have to train a lot, not much more than before but I have to change because MotoGP is tough. But I will be ready, for sure! »
Do you particularly appreciate having raced in all categories with the Gresini team?
“You are right to emphasize this because, in the end, the Gresini team is the one who believed in me at the beginning. They gave me the opportunity to arrive in the world championship and achieve very good results in Moto3, very good results in Moto2, then to make the jump to the premier category: it's something fantastic! I am really grateful to them. »
Combined ranking of the MotoGP test in Jerez:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
Dreaming 😍@MotoGP @GresiniRacing pic.twitter.com/HwGUg39yfA
— Fabio Di Giannantonio (@FabioDiggia49) November 19, 2021
