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It is said that wounded beasts are the most dangerous, and watching 'the wolf' Di Giannantonio lash out for Q2 in Argentina right at the very end makes us think there is some truth to it. More than anger, however, the howl must have been one of joy when the Roman rider, bobbing up and down with his helmet, realized what he had done.
Not so much for getting into Q2 at the expense of Ogura, something in itself that is more than positive given his physical condition, but for having stopped the clocks with the secondf quickest time just over a tenth behind Marc Marquez. Fabio's joy was more than justified, and after a hug from Uccio in the pits and a smirk from team manager Nieto he is now beginning to see the possibilities of a GP25 (the famous 24.9) that he is only now getting to know. The shoulder injury suffered during testing threatened to spell doom with the championship just beginning, but now the time may have come for the Roman to be one of the protagonists.
"We worked really well with the team during free practice," Di Giannantonio explained at the end of the day, "we improved in every session, at every exit, lap after lap. We are still in a phase where we are getting to know each other better with the new team members, and we are doing the same with the bike. Today I had one last chance to set that fast lap, I relaxed and told myself that I had a great package, and that I could make a good time with, that I just had to have fun and find those feelings that I know I can have, and the time came. I'm really happy because it's something that I've been missing since the last races of last season, or even recently ... because of this damn shoulder I've had to face a lot of difficulties" the Roman rider then admitted between his teeth "so for that reason and for today's result I'm really happy and satisfied, especially for the team."
Did that fast lap come easily?
"I was looking at the session data, it's clear that we improved step by step today before we got to that result. The reality is that I can't say I know this bike fully yet, and the same can be said of the team, I think we still have a lot of room for improvement in different aspects."
In what have you made a difference?
"In my riding style I have always been a rider whose strengths are corner entry and corner apex, I am also a good braker but that is not my main strength. Last year on the GP23 it was difficult to exploit these strengths of mine, so now I am making them mine again, because with this bike it is possible to do that."
Did you expect to be competitive again in such a short time?
"I'm happy, this little result gives you that rush of adrenaline, the same happiness as a puppy waiting for a little cookie - joked Diggia - now that I got that cookie I want more. Finally after a long hard time I'm back to having fun."
How is your physical recovery progressing?
"Clearly my shoulder still hurts, it bothers me and is not pleasant, but I came here with a different approach. I came here to be fast, I don't want to focus too much on results but I'm not looking for alibis or excuses either, I want to race, the pain is there but I'm still going to pick up the toolbox and get to work, that's the mood of this weekend."
Morbidelli: "I was in front, but not when it mattered."
Some more difficulties were experienced instead by Franco Morbidelli, who was 12th today. The Italian-Brazilian rider had trouble finding the right feeling on Argentine soil, thus relegating him to a forced passage through Q1.
"It didn't go as I expected - explained Frankie - in the afternoon I lacked that speed for Q2, I know I did my best even if it was clearly not enough. I had trouble finding the right feeling in the fast corners, where I lost a lot of time. The feeling in general wasn't perfect, I was there in front but not when it mattered. Tomorrow entering Q2 will be complicated, we know how it works, it won't be easy to get through the session but we will give it our best."
