Fabio Di Giannantonio expressed great satisfaction at the end of the three days of IRTA testing at the Sepang international circuit. The Roman rider concluded the events with the eighth best overall time and a better understanding of his Ducati Desmosedici GP23.
On the last day in Malaysia, Fabio Di Giannantonio completed 55 laps, achieving his best time at 0,661 second to the leader, the reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia. In the afternoon he focused on a very promising and convincing Sprint race simulation. Enough to put a smile on the face of the new recruit of the VR46 team. Exactly … " I return to Italy with a smile. If I had to evaluate these tests, I would give a score of 9 out of 10. I quickly had good sensations, even during the sessions dedicated to attacking the clock ».
He adds : " what motivated me the most were the results and the sensations during racing simulation, despite the intense heat on the track. We were quick, and all indicators are positive. The GP23 is significantly more efficient, especially in terms of traction, and inspires a different confidence at the front. Physically tired, I need to recover a little, but I can't wait to get back on the track in Qatar ". A Losail track which is also that of his first and for the moment only victory in MotoGP…
Fabio Di Giannantonio: “ I am very proud and happy, because we found a great balance with the bike »
Regarding performance, Fabio Di Giannantonio finished his Sprint race simulation as one of the fastest... Competitors Jorge Martin achieving a lap under 1'57", he then signed his long stint with a time of '58.4, while Martin finished with '58.9 after encountering grip problems.
In total, By Giannantonio maintained an average of 1'58"237, compared to 1'58"390 for George Martin, despite warmer track conditions for the Spaniard. “ We were pretty quick in everything we did » mentions “DiGia” again. “ I am very proud and happy, because we found an excellent balance with the bike. We have progressed considerably since our last visit here to compete. I am satisfied with the time, even if I was not fully satisfied with the set-up of the bike. Lap time was close to the official record. Additionally, my performance in the Sprint simulation was solid. I am therefore extremely positive about these three days of testing ».
Asked about his preparation for the new season, with two more days of testing in Qatar, Di Giannantonio responded optimistically, referring to his Sprint race simulation: “ Well, if the race was tomorrow, maybe I wouldn't be so bad! We are still working to improve lateral grip at the rear, particularly in terms of consistency over the race distance. But I believe that's the main goal for everyone, and like I said, we are in a good dynamic ". A mention which is also painful for his teammate Marco Bezzecchi which has not yet succeeded with the GP23.
Combined MotoGP test results:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
