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The fastest Ducati on Friday in Qatar was Fabio Di Giannantonio’s. The rider from Rome – who’s at the center of market rumors – managed to end the day with a second time trial, becoming the first of Raul Fernandez’s Aprilia chasers. The Gresini rider is satisfied but, at the same time, he’s keeping his feet firmly on the ground in view of Saturday, when he expects a great performance.
“I think we did a great job today,” he said. “We focused on the front and, in particular, the choice of tire for the long race, and we realized that, at the moment, all the tires have problems. But it depends on what you’re looking for, whether you want duration or speed. Unfortunately, the tires wear out very quickly, and this is going to be a problem. Right now, I don’t have that much confidence with the front, but the sensations in general are good, and we’ll take advantage of the night to understand how to move.”
Fabio then goes into detail on the matter: “Like I said, I’m struggling with the front. What comforts me is that we got off to a good start, choosing the right direction. I’m convinced that, by comparing the data, all the Ducatis tomorrow will progress, maybe also thanks to me. The choice of tires will certainly be decisive, but I don’t think it’ll be a gamble, because we’ll carefully assess things with Michelin.”
The Gresini rider then complimented the resurfacing of the track. “I think it has improved a lot. In fact, it’s incredible how much they’ve done. The curbs are new, and the asphalt has no imperfection, not even one depression,” he emphasized. “The grip is really high. You can go really fast in corners and have a mellow style.”
He finally talked about the market. A topic Fabio cuts short: “I don’t know anything. Ask my manager.”
Fabio has some hope for qualifying: “I want to try to be in the front rows, and my crew chief hasn’t celebrated a pole position in recent years. Qualifying will be decisive tomorrow, then we’ll have to give it our all in the race,” he concluded.
