Di Giannantonio Explains Marquez Contact That Locked Him in First Gear at Mandalika Sprint

Ducati riders Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio shared their perspectives on the four‑rider clash that occurred at the opening corner of the Mandalika MotoGP sprint on Saturday.

While Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi, both riding Aprilias, lost traction after taking the outside line — Fernandez later blamed Bezzecchi — the two Ducati machines on the inside were central to the incident.

Given the Aprilias’ anticipated speed edge, Di Giannantonio and Marquez each sought to claim the inside line into the corner. Consequently, the riders entered the turn four wide, with Di Giannantonio on the extreme inside and Marquez braking next to him.

VR46 rider “Diggia” said after the race that Marquez’s right knee grazed his left foot, knocking his Ducati into first gear. That contact caused Marquez to recover his GP26, setting off a chain reaction that affected Bezzecchi and eventually Fernandez.

“I don’t know anything, guys,” Di Giannantonio said. “You’ll have to ask the other riders. I was on the inside, braked normally, and was struck by another competitor.”

Video replays confirm that the rider who made contact was Marc Marquez.

“He put me into first gear,” he added. “When I exited the corner I was stuck on the rev limiter in first gear, so you really need to ask the others what happened.”

That contact explains why Di Giannantonio emerged from the opening corner in fourth place, even though he had entered it in an ideal position.

Marquez did not reference the contact with Di Giannantonio in his post‑race interview, describing the incident simply as a congested battle for the corner exacerbated by braking misjudgments.

“Turn 1 is straightforward,” the factory rider said. “We were four bikes abreast. I thought Bezzecchi was waiting for Raul to brake later, I was waiting for Bezzecchi to brake later, and Diggia was waiting for me to brake later. The result was that all four went off line, allowing Martin to jump from fifth to first. It was tight and at the limit, but that’s racing—Turn 1 often plays out this way.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

Di Giannantonio added that he harbors no regrets about pushing for the maximum into the opening corner.

“Ah, well, we’re here to race,” the Roman said. “Theoretically, the rider in front wins, so you always strive to be there.”

The urge to lead into the first corner was borne out by the race that followed, which saw virtually no real overtaking despite ample drama.

Additional reporting by Gerald Dirnbeck.

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