Di Giannantonio's Ducati loses grip in Qatar MotoGP race

Fabio di Giannantonio said his VR46 Ducati was the best it had felt in two years after topping the warm-up timesheets at Qatar. He had qualified on the front row and was runner-up in the Sprint, but hopes of a repeat of his 2023 Lusail victory ended early in the race.

The Italian said the bike became impossible to lean after a few laps because of massive vibrations, leaving him as the slowest Ducati for parts of the race. He described the problem as out of his team's control and suggested the chatter might have been tyre-related. He finished eighth.

Di Giannantonio remains sixth in the World Championship and is the next-best Ducati rider behind title leader Marc Marquez. He is mathematically within reach of fourth-placed Pedro Acosta with two rounds remaining.