Fabio Di Giannantonio explained why he felt he “threw away” his chances of securing a podium finish at the Argentina MotoGP Grand Prix.
The Roman rider finished both the Sprint and Sunday race in fifth place, accumulating 16 points to his championship tally.
The VR46 Ducati opted for the same strategy as his teammate Franco Morbidelli, starting the 25-lapper with the soft rear tyre compound.
The start of his race saw Morbidelli squeeze through on Lap 1 which placed him behind KTMs Brad Binder as a result.
Di Giannantonio later found the right opportunity to pass Binder on Lap 15, then completed an ambitious last-lap move on LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco.
“Without [Franco] Morbidelli’s overtake, I think I would’ve finished the race differently. The start was good, and the plan was to reach a fourth, fifth position right away and then start the chase,” Di Giannantonio explained to GPOne.
“However, Franco did well and ruined my GP. I was behind Binder for three-quarters of the race and lost a lot of time, also because Brad [Binder] is very difficult to overtake.
“I had a great pace, to the extent that, after twenty laps, I was still doing 1.38.3s. But, by then, it was too late.
“I’m a bit angry because I feel I threw away a podium. With the current regulations, if you’re behind someone who’s breaking away, you can only save yourself if he makes a mistake.”
He continued: “In my case, the KTM rider made a small mistake, and I managed to squeeze in. Otherwise, I would’ve definitely been stuck.
“This is also why qualifying and the first few laps are crucial. In those stages, you have to take risks.”
Di Giannantonio admitted he ‘lost concentration’ in last laps
Di Giannantonio admitted post-race that he “lost concentration” in the last laps of the race due to exhaustion.
He is still nursing an injury after breaking his collarbone during the pre-season test in Sepang, which played a part in the closing stages of the Argentina race.
Although he wasn’t satisfied with not reaching his target, he was happy with the progression made since the season opener.
“Looking at the two top five, it was a really good weekend. In terms of speed and consistency, I really progressed from Thailand,” he reflected.
“I’m really happy and proud because we did a great job. Obviously, I can’t be 100% satisfied because I wanted to finish in the top three.
“It was hard, but not like last weekend [Thailand] where, in the last laps, I was exhausted.
“Here, in the closing laps, I lost concentration and even forgot to deactivate the holeshot twice. So I faced Turn 6 like on a chopper.
“I kept thinking about how to recuperate energy on the straight. In the next few days, I’ll try to train and prepare myself as the best as I can for Austin.
“I hope not, but I’m afraid it will be. Like I said, in the next few days, instead of resting, I’ll spend time recuperating muscle in my upper body.”
READ MORE – Franco Morbidelli ends four-year MotoGP podium drought in Argentina amid self-doubt battles
He has talent and the best bike on the grid so he should do well this season. I get the impression that he’s not the brightest rider on the grid and this may be his handicap.