Fabio Di Giannantonio believes Ducati’s GP26 package is still not strong enough to challenge the current performance level of Aprilia Racing in the 2026 MotoGP season. His assessment followed the French Grand Prix, where Aprilia demonstrated a clear advantage in race pace and tyre management across the full distance.
Ducati had appeared to make significant progress during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, with Alex Marquez winning the main race and Di Giannantonio securing a podium finish. The post-race Jerez test also produced encouraging development signs for the GP26, which continued into Le Mans as Francesco Bagnaia led Ducati’s qualifying performance with pole position.
However, Ducati failed to convert that pace into a strong grand prix result on Sunday. Bagnaia crashed while fighting for a podium position, while Di Giannantonio could only salvage fourth place as Ducati’s best finisher. In contrast, Aprilia dominated the race with a historic 1-2-3 finish through Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi, and Ai Ogura.
According to Di Giannantonio, the biggest difference between the GP26 and the RS-GP currently lies in overall bike balance, particularly regarding front-end feeling and stability during corner entry. He believes Aprilia has developed a more complete package capable of preserving both front and rear tyre performance throughout an entire race stint.
“Difficult to say at the moment because it seems that Aprilia is doing an amazing job. They are on another level. I think we have to work a lot with Ducati to improve our bike,” Di Giannantonio said.
The VR46 rider also explained that Ducati continues to face major setup compromises. Whenever engineers improve front-end confidence, the rear of the bike loses stability and traction, while attempts to improve rear grip negatively affect the front. That limitation has made it difficult for Ducati to achieve an ideal balance, particularly in low-grip conditions and high track temperatures like those seen at Le Mans.
“I think we arrive at a moment where our package is great, but it’s not enough to beat them. If we improve the front, we lose something at the rear, and vice versa,” he added.
Despite Ducati’s current struggles, Di Giannantonio remains the manufacturer’s most consistent rider in the championship standings and currently sits third overall. However, he heads to the Catalan Grand Prix trailing championship leader Bezzecchi by 44 points. With Aprilia continuing to improve the RS-GP package, Ducati now faces a critical phase in the coming rounds to keep its MotoGP title hopes alive in 2026.
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