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Fabio Di Giannantonio Faces Heat Challenges at Thailand Grand Prix
Fabio di Giannantonio, a key member of the VR46 Racing Team, found himself forced to retire from the sprint race during the Thailand Grand Prix due to extreme heat affecting his Ducati motorcycle. The situation escalated as he battled persistent overheating issues, ultimately leading to his decision to exit the race.
During the race held at Buriram, di Giannantonio was in contention for a top-10 finish when he encountered difficulties at Turn 5 with just a few laps remaining. His performance noticeably declined, prompting him to pit on lap 11 of 13, making him one of only two riders, alongside Jack Miller, who did not complete the race.
Post-race, di Giannantonio articulated the severity of his experience, stating that his bike was excessively hot to the point of causing burns to various parts of his body. “What happened is that the bike was burning completely, completely burning,” he explained. “I got burns on the hands, on the legs, on the neck.”
He noted this was not typical for Ducati bikes, usually recognized for better heat management. “Ducati is one of the coolest bikes, so it’s really, really strange,” he remarked, alluding to his unusual predicament compared to other riders who reported only modest heat discomfort.
Despite the heat affecting many riders, di Giannantonio uniquely suffered from severe burns. He mentioned, “On the straights [my feet] were not on the fairing. I was [riding] with legs open, arms open. When I was braking, I was putting away both my feet. I was just removing every [body part] from the bike; it was completely burning.”
Ultimately, he decided the situation was untenable. “It was too much. I wanted to continue. But before the last corner I got almost on the right side [of the track]. So I said, ‘okay, I’m out of the points, the bike is burning, I’m racing a lot, the shoulder is feeling, so that’s it, I can’t anymore – let’s save some laps for tomorrow’s race.’”
The challenges of competing in scorching conditions have not been exclusive to di Giannantonio. Aleix Espargaro of Aprilia Racing Team had previously shared his struggles with overheating in similarly demanding races. He remarked about burning his hands and dealing with the intense heat, especially at the Malaysian Grand Prix last season.
However, while the Aprilia RS-GP has had systemic issues with heat, di Giannantonio stood out as the sole Ducati rider facing such severe burns in Buriram. Despite this setback, he remains optimistic about the team’s ability to troubleshoot the problem before the upcoming grand prix. “I’m really confident about the team and I’m confident that they will fix it,” he stated. “We have to find a way to fix it, to find solutions to fix it. I don’t want to think that we cannot fix it.”
Reflecting on his performance, di Giannantonio acknowledged the lost opportunity for a strong showing, especially considering his recent recovery from a collarbone injury sustained during a wheelie attempt at the Sepang test. Entering the race weekend, he had rated his fitness at 95 percent, though he felt his shoulder’s performance severely hampered him.
Source
www.autosport.com