Fabio Di Giannantonio reveals tap from Marc Marquez in sprint chain reaction: 'He put me in first gear'
Ducati riders Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio have offered their takes on the four-rider incident at the first corner of the Mandalika MotoGP sprint on Saturday. While Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi's Aprilias ended up biting the dust after taking up outside positions - with Fernandez hurling blame at Bezzecchi after the race - the two Ducatis on the inside played a major ... Keep…
Fabio Di Giannantonio revealed that Marc Marquez caused him to start the Mandalika MotoGP sprint in first gear, leading to a chain reaction of incidents. Di Giannantonio and Marquez were on the inside at turn four abreast, with Marquez brushing Di Giannantonio's left foot with his right knee, causing him to slip into first gear.
This brush led to Marquez picking up his GP26, and the subsequent actions of other riders in the incident. Di Giannantonio admitted that he was unaware of the cause of his gear slip, emphasizing that the responsibility lies with the other riders. Marquez did not specifically mention touching Di Giannantonio in his post-race interview, attributing the incident to the four bikes scrapping to win the corner due to misjudgments in braking.
Despite the challenging conditions, the factory man acknowledged it as genuine racing. Di Giannantonio expressed no regrets about pushing for the maximum at the first corner, emphasizing that being first was the goal. The intense pressure to lead into the first corner proved crucial in the subsequent race, which saw minimal overtaking despite the dramatic events.
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