On the first day of the Brazilian GP, Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio faced wet conditions and finished the Practice session in eighteenth and nineteenth position respectively.
The Brazilian GP is one of the most anticipated events – returning to the calendar after 22 years – but today’s debut at the Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna proved to be more complicated than expected for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, with both riders heading into Q1. Rain was the main protagonist on Friday, with Franco Morbidelli finishing his first day of his home weekend in eighteenth place, just ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was nineteenth.
Morbidelli began Friday in Goiânia with enthusiasm, cheered on by the Brazilian crowd: the local hero managed to place himself in the top places in FP1 despite less-than-ideal weather and track conditions. However, the rain further complicated the work plan during Practice, forcing the Italian-Brazilian rider to remain in the garage for a long time. With a best lap time of 1'22”733, Franco finished in eighteenth position and will go through Q1 in Qualifying.
Di Giannantonio also had to face difficult conditions on Friday at the Brazilian GP: Fabio began calmly, focusing on learning the new track during FP1. However, the rain affected the crucial Practice session, forcing the rider from Rome to spend most of the time in the garage. Unable to make the most of the session and show his strong potential, Di Giannantonio set a best lap of 1'22.890, finishing Friday in nineteenth position and will go through Q1 on Saturday.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will return to the track on Saturday for qualifying, which will begin at 10:50 (local time, -4 CET). This will be followed by the Sprint, scheduled to start at 15:00 (local time). The Brazilian GP will conclude with the race, which will get underway on Sunday at 15:00 (local time).
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO
“This morning we had a few things to try at the start of FP1, but they didn’t work as we wanted and we lost some time. Despite the conditions not being perfect, the feeling with the bike on wet was good. In Practice, intermittent rain affected the work plan. When I was on track, I lost a lot of time in a couple of corners that were very wet, so I couldn’t find the rhythm to push. Even when the track starts to dry, there are still some wet patches and it’s difficult to ride on slick tyres. But it’s also a new circuit, so it’s normal to have to adapt. We need to work to understand how to improve in these particular conditions, but the track is fantastic.”
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
“Today it was amazing to ride on this track for the first time with a MotoGP bike. I really like this circuit, the layout is unique and we’ll see what we can do. It’s going to be a very exciting GP, we’re ready and enthusiastic. It’s a home race for me and I’m very proud to represent Brazil. This morning was positive and I immediately had a good feeling in FP1. It’s a pity about the unstable weather during Practice, we were unlucky with the timing in the afternoon. The goal for tomorrow is to do well, but that’s always our aim everywhere. We’ll work to get through Q1 and a Top5 finish in the race. We’ve shown we have the potential to be there, the Ducati package is excellent. We’re also working on making some changes to the bike that I think could help us improve at the start, we’ll see.”
