Fabio Di Giannantonio crashes out of the German GP while fighting for the podium. Franco Morbidelli finishes 13th.

The German GP – the final race weekend before the summer break – ended on a bittersweet note for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team: Fabio Di Giannantonio crashed out on lap three, recording his first Sunday retirement of the season. He ends the first half of the year just 24 points behind the championship leader. It was also a challenging Sunday for Franco Morbidelli, who crossed the finish line in 13th place.

A difficult start from the front row prevented Di Giannantonio from holding on to his third place. Fabio was fifth after the opening metres, and immediately began his comeback, showing strong pace right away. However, his German GP came to an early end when he crashed on lap three while running in fifth place. He remains on 184 points in the World Standing but drops to fifth overall, 24 points behind the championship leader.

It was also a demanding Sunday for Morbidelli, who started from tenth on the grid after serving a grid penalty. Franco lost a few positions when the lights went out but began fighting back from the opening corners. The Italian-Brazilian rider showed great determination, climbing back to 13th place, a position he held until the chequered flag. With today's result, Morbidelli sits 16th in the World Standing with 46 points.

The German GP, which set a new attendance record this year, marks the end of the first half of the 2026 season and the beginning of the summer break. The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will return to action in four weeks' time, when MotoGP resumes with the British GP at Silverstone, scheduled from 7th to 9th August.

FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO
“I'm okay, just a bit bruised. It's a pity because the Sunday had started well and I had a really good feeling with the bike. But I crashed this morning in Warm Up and then again in the race, which wasn't ideal, although these things can happen. I think we had great potential to fight for the podium, but unfortunately we didn't get the chance to show it. We have to be happy with this first half of the season. We've worked really well as a team and there are plenty of positives to take away. We're only 24 points behind the championship leader in a very tight World Standing, so we have to keep believing and continue working the way we have been so far. Now we have the summer break, which will give me the chance to work hard on my body and focus on coming back at 100%.”

FRANCO MORBIDELLI
“It was a very difficult race. I started three places further back than in the Sprint and I just couldn't find the performance I was looking for. It's a pity, but this summer break comes at the right time. It will be important to reset, regain some peace of mind and recharge the right energy so I can get back to being competitive with this bike, which has great potential. I'll use this time to regroup and arrive ready for the second half of the season. We've had some encouraging performances in the first half of the championship, even if the results haven't matched our expectations.”

PABLO NIETO
“Whenever you don't finish the race, it's always a difficult weekend. Diggia's crash is a real pity, but that's part of this sport. It wasn't what we wanted, but we'll analyse what happened to avoid making the same mistakes again. We end the first half of the championship with another Sprint podium and just 24 points behind the championship leader, so we can be very satisfied with the work we've done so far. With Franco, we're continuing to make small steps forward, and his direct Q2 qualification proves that. We'll keep working together with him and Ducati throughout the summer break so we can return after the holidays fighting where he belongs. The summer break now gives us an important opportunity to recharge our batteries and come back ready for Silverstone.”