Di Giannantonio Issues Health Warning Over Sprint Qualifying Plan
Fabio di Giannantonio has warned that MotoGP’s proposal for a dedicated sprint qualifying session could work against rider health. The VR46 Ducati rider spoke out as paddock discussions continue over changes to the qualifying format. Fabio di Giannantonio sprint qualifying comments have added a fresh voice of caution to a plan that most teams already support.
Di Giannantonio’s worry is simple: more track time under pressure means more risk, on bikes that are faster and harder to stop than ever.
Proposed Qualifying Format and VR46 Rider Comments
Under the current system, one qualifying session on Saturday morning sets the grid for both the sprint race and the grand prix. Stakeholders are now weighing a change that would add a second, separate qualifying session just for the sprint, a shift covered in our earlier report on VR46’s plans for the season ahead.
Di Giannantonio doesn’t think the extra session is worth the danger it brings. “At the end, we are on two wheels, and when we crash, it’s not just a little bang on the wall; it can be an injury, it can be something big,” he said, according to the original report on di Giannantonio’s warnings.
He would rather see relaxed practice used rather than a second qualifying session. “It’s true that the next year’s bike is a bit slower, but with these bikes going at the end with this high level of everything, when you crash, you crash hard, so it would be better if we can have just some relaxed practice sessions,” he added.
Physical Demands of Modern MotoGP and Calendar Strain
The current MotoGP calendar runs to 22 rounds and 44 races, a schedule that leaves little room to recover between weekends. Di Giannantonio says that grind is already close to the limit. “It’s becoming tougher and tougher to maintain the condition through the year for these pushing moments,” he explained.
He also pointed to how demanding a normal race weekend already is, before any extra session gets added. Friday practice already asks riders to push flat out, he said, and Saturday and Sunday are just as intense. Every session already asks riders to give everything they have. The Fabio di Giannantonio sprint qualifying debate really comes down to how much more a rider’s body can take.
Implementation Timeline and Absence of Rider Representation
The proposal has been mostly well received by teams and manufacturers, and organisers are targeting 2027 for ratification, though nothing is confirmed yet. MotoGP has no rider union like Formula 1’s Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, so riders have little formal say in decisions like this one. That comes as broader MotoGP rider career developments continue to reshape the grid, with the championship weighing several changes to its race weekend format at once.
Di Giannantonio accepts that reality without much fight. “Our opinion is a bit less important at the moment for the sport,” he said. “So you can decide the schedule for us, it doesn’t change anything at the end, you need to push anyway.” Still, he backs the direction organisers are taking. “We are trying to put up the sport, so let’s trust them and let’s give it a go, that’s it,” he said.
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