Brother Luca he was crying at the airport, mother Sonia she was agitated with a pounding heart in the EUR house, in Rome. AND dad Ivan «he was almost asleep due to the tranquilizer he had taken. Although perhaps he had a few tears on his face.”
Fabio Di Giannantonioa 25-year-old rider who risks being without a team next year, on Sunday in Qatar with his Ducati from the Gresini team he won his first Moto GP race in front of Bagnaia and the celebration has begun in Rome.
MotoGP Qatar, Di Giannantonio wins ahead of Bagnaia. Martin tenth and -21 points behind Pecco
by our correspondent Massimo Calandri
November 19, 2023
His brother Luca, 5 years younger, had just played a Serie D football match away and was waiting for the plane with his Boreale teammates: «We were all connected by phone until the final celebration. Upon arrival I felt a mix of emotions, because it was the finish line of a long journey that began as a child. I immediately called home – he says – and everyone was super happy.”
The commitment and dedication shown over the years have borne fruit. This is the summary of the first message sent by Luca to his brother-champion Fabio: «I wrote to him that he deserved it for all the sacrifices he had made and the heart he always put on the track. He has dedicated his life to this sport, now it is right that he enjoys this moment.”
However, Fabio did not have an easy year, like his family. In fact, in recent months it was announced that Marquez will take his place with the Ducati of Team Gresini. At the moment, therefore, the Roman rider does not have a saddle for the next championship. «I know there are negotiations underway, but I’m not the right person to talk about it», comments his brother Luca.
«Uncertainty about the future can be destabilizing. Our family has always been close to him and tried to make this situation weigh on him as little as possible. Almost making him stay inside a glass bell, pushing away all thoughts and talking about them as little as possible.”
There is one certainty: «A victory like the one on Sunday, together with the entire last period given that he has always been there for 3-4 weekends, is a strong signal. Let’s hope it’s a good omen.”
Meanwhile the roar of his engine from Qatar has reached EUR. Where Fabio began, as a child, to cultivate a passion for two wheels. «Football and motorcycling are dad’s two passions. I followed the ball, he followed the motorbikes. His path began for fun, certainly not immediately with Moto GP in mind”, underlines Luca, who remembers his brother’s sacrifices well: “He couldn’t always go out with friends for races. At 16 he left home and moved to Misano Adriatico to be closer to the team. I was little, so we didn’t live there much up until that point. But then he came back before the pandemic and the lockdown helped us build a very strong bond.”
Now Fabio Di Giannantonio lives in Rome, which remains his safe place in the world.
«When he returns from a long trip, or from places where the food culture is different, to relax Fabio has to go walk to the center and eat a carbonara. We often go together, we spend the days wandering around the city.” On Sundays, then, he is at home at the Olimpico: «Fabio is a big Roma fan, when he can he always goes to the stadium also because he has a collaboration with the Giallorossi club. He tries not to miss a game even when he is away. Sometimes he asks me for advice on how to see Roma on another continent.”
Fabio Di Giannantonio enjoys the victory with an eye to the future. Which his agent has been working on for some time, Diego Tavano: «It was a perfect weekend, it sent a great signal even if it wasn’t needed. In fact, in the last period he has always been in the top 10. We are working for next year, there could be some opportunities. Fabio has demonstrated that he is a top-level rider who deserves to be in MotoGP.”
