LUSAIL, Nov 19: Gresini Racing’s Fabio Di Giannantonio stormed to a maiden MotoGP victory at the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, denying championship leader Francesco Bagnaia in the dying stages, while title contender Jorge Martin finished a lowly 10th.
Di Giannantonio, who does not have a MotoGP ride next season, threw caution to the wind at the floodlit Lusail International Circuit and took on Bagnaia to claim his first win while pole-sitter Luca Marini of VR46 Racing finished third.
ictory marked a special weekend for Di Giannantonio, who also finished second in Saturday’s sprint .
“Man, what do I say. It’s been an incredible weekend the race was unbelievable. I was struggling with the front (tyre) but I saw Pecco (Bagnaia) making little mistakes,” a grinning Di Giannantonio said in a post-race interview.“This was revenge, first for myself and others with me. Now we did it, now I’m a MotoGP winner.
Bagnaia lost the lead with four laps to go but the Ducati rider has still put one hand on the rider’s championship after extending his lead over Martin to 21 points.
The Italian can even secure back-to-back world titles in Saturday’s sprint at the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix next weekend.
Bagnaia and Martin started fourth and fifth on the grid — separated by seven points — but it was the Ducati rider who had the perfect launch as he shot off the line to take the lead from Marini going into turn one.
On the other hand, Martin nearly lost control of his Pramac bike due to wheel-spin, dropping to eighth in the opening lap, and he was forced to pick his way through the pack as Bagnaia surged ahead.
While Bagnaia kept Di Giannantonio at arm’s length, Martin was falling further behind and he lost so much pace that even the slower Honda of Marc Marquez, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo and KTM’s Jack Miller managed to get past the Pramac rider.
Up front, Di Giannantonio did not let up. With four laps to go he ignored team warnings and made his move to get past Bagnaia.The Ducati rider nearly threw it away on the next lap with a risky move to retake the lead at turn one where he ran wide and then backed off while shaking his head, knowing second place was better than nothing.“We managed to do a perfect start, I tried to create a gap but Diggia (Di Giannantonio) was incredible. I got sucked into his slipstream at the first braking (zone) and I went wide,” Bagnaia said.“But we’ve managed to open a gap on Jorge.”
Once Bagnaia saw Martin had finished 10th, there were no hard feelings as he and several other riders stopped their bikes by the side of the track to congratulate an emotional Di Giannantonio.
The Qatar Grand Prix is a night race, which adds to its unique atmosphere. The floodlights illuminate the circuit, creating a spectacular spectacle for the spectators. The race is also one of the longest on the calendar, at over 5.4 kilometers. This means that drivers need to manage their tires carefully, as they can wear out quickly under the demanding conditions.The Qatar Grand Prix has been won by some of the most famous drivers in Formula One, including Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Daniel Ricciardo. It is a race that is always exciting and unpredictable, and it is sure to continue to be a popular addition to the Formula One calendar for many years to come.
The race made its debut on the Formula One calendar in 2021, and has been a popular addition to the series ever since. The circuit is a purpose-built facility that was constructed in just under a year, at a cost of US$58 million. It is a challenging track that demands high levels of downforce and cornering speed. (Agencies)
