Fabio Di Giannantonio continued his impressive run of form by securing a third-place finish in the Sprint Race at the German Grand Prix, delivering another strong performance for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team at the Sachsenring.
After qualifying on the front row with the third-fastest lap, the Italian rider made a solid start and held his position throughout the sprint. While Marc Márquez and Álex Márquez proved untouchable at the front, Di Giannantonio managed the race intelligently, keeping his rivals behind and securing another valuable podium finish.
The result confirms the competitiveness shown by the VR46 rider throughout the weekend and strengthens his position among Ducati’s leading contenders behind the Márquez brothers.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Grand Prix, however, Di Giannantonio believes Aprilia could become an even bigger threat over the full race distance. According to the Italian, the RS-GP has the pace and consistency to make the most of tire management during the longer race.
With significantly more laps to complete, strategy, tire preservation and race pace are expected to play a decisive role. Sunday’s race could therefore produce a much closer battle than the Sprint.
Aprilia’s hopes, however, have been affected by Marco Bezzecchi’s heavy qualifying crash, which forced the Italian rider to withdraw from the remainder of the weekend. As a result, Jorge Martín will carry the responsibility of leading the Noale manufacturer’s challenge in Germany.
For Di Giannantonio, the Grand Prix represents another opportunity to fight for a podium finish. Marc Márquez remains the clear favorite after taking pole position and winning the Sprint, but the battle behind him promises to be one of the highlights of the weekend.
The VR46 rider has already shown he has the speed to stay with the front runners. If he can combine consistency with the right strategy, another podium finish on Sunday is well within reach.
