The opening of the MotoGP weekend at the Lusail International Circuit immediately grabbed global attention as Fabio Di Giannantonio delivered a masterclass under the floodlights. After securing fourth position in the opening practice session during the afternoon sun, the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team star made a massive step forward once night fell over the desert.
The rider carrying the number 49 was not only the benchmark over a single flying lap but also demonstrated remarkable consistency from the very beginning of the hour-long session. Even while running on harder race tires for long-run simulations, the Italian rider comfortably maintained his pace within the top six positions.
The dynamic shifted dramatically once the soft tire combination was fitted to his Ducati machine. Alongside Marc Marquez and Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi, he was part of an exclusive group breaking the 1-minute 51-second barrier. In the dying moments before the checkered flag, he found crucial tenths to clock a sensational lap record of 1:50.406, eclipsing the previous benchmark set by Marquez a year prior by over a tenth of a second.
"The day went really well, with the exception of the first two stints in FP1 when we were still two seconds off the pace," Di Giannantonio explained during his post-practice media debrief. "But after that everything clicked and I am truly very satisfied. The changes we made were spot on, and I just think it is a pity we did not do this a few Grands Prix ago."
Top speed had recently been a frequent talking point surrounding the Italian rider. At Lusail, he proved that other priorities take precedence on the desert layout. The record-holder was classified 12th in top speed among the 18 riders, losing six km/h to Honda rookie Diogo Moreira and five km/h to the fastest Ducati.
Meanwhile, garage neighbor Franco Morbidelli struggled to match that blistering pace. Ending the day over a second adrift in 12th place, he will be forced to battle through the first qualifying session on Saturday to secure his progression.
Baca Juga
Marco Bezzecchi rebut pole position MotoGP Qatar di Lusail kalahkan Marc Marquez. Baca analisis mendalam di sini untuk update lengkap akhir pekan ini.
Marco Bezzecchi rebut pole Qatar kalahkan Marc Marquez dengan rekor lap baru. Simak analisis mendalam, update poin, dan jadwal akhir pekan ini.
Marco Bezzecchi rebut pole Qatar dengan rekor lap baru di Lusail. Simak analisis lengkap, update klasemen, dan hasil kualifikasi di sini.
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