Fabio Di Giannantonio was forced to retire due to a crash in the early stages of the Sprint at the United States Grand Prix. Morbidelli recovered positions to finish thirteenth.
Luck did not favor the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team in the Sprint of the United States GP: after taking pole position in qualifying, Fabio Di Giannantonio was forced to retire following a crash in the early stages of the race while he was in third place. It was a comeback Sprint for Franco Morbidelli, who climbed up to thirteenth place at the finish line.
A bittersweet Saturday for Di Giannantonio, who secured his second consecutive pole position (after Brazil) by setting a new lap record of 2’00”136. Starting from pole, Fabio was immediately involved in the fight for the podium, but he crashed due to a contact with another rider in the early laps of the Sprint. The rider from Rome showed great determination by rejoining the track and trying to continue, but was eventually forced to return to the pits. Di Giannantonio remains fourth in the World Standing with 37 points.
The Austin weekend continues to be complicated for Morbidelli, who qualified twentieth after a difficult Qualifying. Despite a challenging start in the Sprint, Franco showed determination, gaining positions lap after lap. The Italian-Brazilian rider crossed the finish line in thirteenth place after a strong recovery. Morbidelli is thirteenth in the World Standing with 12 points.
The United States GP will conclude tomorrow with the main race, starting at 3:00 pm (local time, +7 CET due to the time change), where the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team will race with a special livery designed by Aldo Drudi and unveiled on Tuesday in New York City.
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO
“Today we had the potential and the opportunity to win the Sprint, but it wasn’t possible. Still, I don’t want to focus too much on what happened in the Sprint. There are many positives for me and for the team: this is the fourth different track where we haven’t needed to change much on the bike. We’re only focusing on small details, and when it’s like this, it means you have a great package. We’re strong, the results speak for themselves. We did a fantastic job and secured an incredible pole position. We just need to keep pushing, and tomorrow we’ll have another opportunity. The goal for the race will be to start well and be in front at the first corner, then set our pace. Our rivals will want to do the same, so we’ll try to give our best.”
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
“Just like yesterday, I’m unable to extract the maximum potential from the bike, especially with new tyres. Step by step, I’m able to improve, even if there’s nothing particularly outstanding. Of course, we’re working very hard and trying many things. We also did that today in the Sprint to prepare for tomorrow’s race. If we solve this issue, we can make a strong recovery in the race.”
