Fabio Di Giannantonio is enthusiastically preparing to return to MotoGP action, now in the new colours of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. The rider spoke about what he ‘misses’ during the summer break, and about the new team that has a winning mentality.
‘I can’t wait to get back and start again, on the Desmosedici and working with the team. It’s been a short winter but also a long one at the same time. When you don’t touch your bike it’s always too long. What you lose during the winter – by not riding – are also the reflexes on the bike, when you’re riding the bike at 300km/h and you have to brake, and start to have these feelings again and everything else… the speed. In the end that’s all it was, and it’s important to get here and not feel that on your first outings with the bike’, the rider told reporters in Sepang.
Without a MotoGP bike during the winter, the alternative is other models that… aren’t quite the same, in many ways: ‘Everything changes [compared to being on a ‘normal’ bike], the bike shakes everywhere, the power isn’t so much compared to a MotoGP bike. The Panigale shakes, it doesn’t have the chassis [of a MotoGP bike]. There are a lot of differences, but it’s good to get some of the feeling back, it’s good training’.
This was followed by words of praise for the new team he will be defending in 2024, with very positive words about the atmosphere within the structure:
– The atmosphere in the new team, honestly, is very good. They are very professional and seem like a family, but in a professional sense. They have a lot of fun at work, outside of work, and it’s good to have that kind of desire to win. What I see is that they work to win, they’re passionate and not just about the bike, but about winning. Everyone’s goal is to win, win, win and I think that’s going to affect my mentality and help me win.