The final Sunday before MotoGP’s summer break turned sour for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. Fabio Di Giannantonio hit the deck early, while Franco Morbidelli battled to a modest finish. As a result, the team leaves Germany with no points to show for its efforts.
Di Giannantonio Crash Wrecks a Promising Start
Di Giannantonio began the German GP full of hope from the front row. However, a poor getaway dropped him to fifth in the opening metres. He immediately launched a comeback and showed strong pace. Then disaster struck on lap three. The Roman rider slid off while running fifth, ending his race early. In fact, it marked his first Sunday retirement of the season.
The Di Giannantonio crash stings, yet the bigger picture stays bright. He holds 184 points but slips to fifth in the standings. Even so, he trails the leader by just 24 points in a razor-tight title race. Therefore, plenty of belief remains inside the garage.
Morbidelli Digs In as VR46 Eyes Silverstone
Morbidelli faced his own uphill battle on Sunday. He started tenth after a grid penalty and lost ground at the lights. Nevertheless, he fought back hard from the opening corners. The Italian-Brazilian climbed to 13th and held the spot to the flag. Consequently, he now sits 16th overall on 46 points.
Team manager Pablo Nieto admitted the Di Giannantonio crash was a real shame but part of racing. Still, he praised a first half featuring another Sprint podium and a tight championship fight. Both riders now welcome the reset. Di Giannantonio wants to return at full fitness, while Morbidelli aims to recharge and rediscover his rhythm.
MotoGP returns in four weeks at Silverstone for the British GP from 7 to 9 August. The Sachsenring, which set a new attendance record, closes a strong first half for the squad. Ultimately, VR46 heads into the break hungry to strike back.
