“Burning” Ducati forced Fabio Di Giannantonio out of “hell” Thai MotoGP sprint
VR46 rider encountered extreme heat issue in sprint race
Fabio Di Giannantonio says he pulled out of the MotoGP Thai Grand Prix sprint because his VR46 Ducati was “burning” him.
The VR46 rider has had limited time on his Ducati this winter due to a shoulder injury, but was cleared to take part in this weekend’s season-opener at Buriram.
Unable to make it out of Q1, Di Giannantonio was in the hunt for points but pulled out of the sprint on lap 11 of 13.
He says extreme heat from the bike meant it was “burning” him, with Di Giannantonio describing it as “hell” from lap one.
“What happened, the bike was burning - completely burning,” he began.
“I got burned on the hands, on the legs, on the neck, completely burned - like never before. This is one of the coolest bikes.
“Even yesterday morning I had this kind of situation. We know that it’s not a technical issue.
“The bike was working well, everything was fine. It’s not an issue, but we have to understand why I’m the only rider that is burning themselves.
“Other riders complained that it was hot and sometimes the front lever is hot.
“But today it was not possible to ride. On the straight I was not in the fairing, my legs were open, open arms, and when I was braking I was putting away both my feet.
“I was just removing everything from the bike because it was completely burning.
“Also yesterday morning. We improved it, but in the race from the first lap it was hell.
“And honestly I got a little scared because it was a little too much. So, when you are riding you start to think the worst thing - like a fire or something. It was really burning.”
He added: “It was too much. I wanted to continue, then I got a almost a highside before the last corner.
“So, I said ‘Ok, I’m out of the points, I don’t know what’s happening, the bike is burning, I’m risking a lot, the shoulder is feeling [sore].
“So, that’s it, I can’t do anymore so let’s save some laps for the race’.”
A number of riders have commented on the heat they have been facing in Thailand this week, with several noting that they’ve never experienced anything like it.
But Di Giannantonio is confident his team will be able to rectify the problem for Sunday’s grand prix and he will be able to complete the full distance.
“I’m really confident about the team and I’m confident we will fix it,” he said.
“We have to find a way to fix it, so I don’t want to think about not racing because also my colleagues in the same brand were doing the race without this big issue.
“But today is a pity because we lost a little opportunity today even with the injury.
“Now, with the team, with Dainese we are talking to find a solution together.
“We cannot remove protection and we have to understand how we improve this situation. Like this, it’s really critical. It’s really on the limit for a person.”
Quotes provided by Crash MotoGP Editor Peter McLaren
