The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team returned from the summer break to a genuinely challenging opening Sprint at Silverstone, yet the squad still walked away with a broadly positive result overall. Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the line fifth, while Franco Morbidelli followed closely in eighth, and together the pair delivered a valuable double points finish to open the British round of the championship.
Di Giannantonio Fights Tyre Drop in Silverstone Sprint
Di Giannantonio qualified an encouraging fourth with a lap of 1’56.415, and he consequently launched from the second row with real pace behind him. He immediately joined the podium fight from the very first corners and held a strong rhythm through the opening laps, consistently running near the front group and confirming his status as a genuine title contender. However, his tyres gradually began to fade in the closing stages, and he simply could not resist the late attacks that eventually pushed him back to fifth at the checkered flag. As a result, Di Giannantonio now sits fifth in the overall championship standings with 189 points, just one point behind the rider ahead of him.
Morbidelli Climbs Through Silverstone Sprint for Eighth
Morbidelli, meanwhile, enjoyed an equally strong Saturday of his own. After first advancing through an encouraging Q1 session, he ultimately qualified eighth on the grid with a time of 1’56.889 and therefore started the Sprint from the third row. He stayed firmly in the thick of the Top10 fight throughout the race, showing clear improvement, and a pair of well timed overtakes in the final two laps eventually secured him eighth place at the flag. Consequently, Morbidelli now ranks sixteenth in the overall standings with 48 points, and he will look to build on that platform going forward.
Both riders will now look to carry this momentum into Sunday, when the British Grand Prix concludes with the main race, scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. local time.
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO
“I am quite disappointed, because I usually manage tyres well, but today we could not do it. I felt strong in the first laps and thought I was not stressing the tyres too much, but then the drop arrived and it became tough. We definitely learned a lesson, and we will now analyze the situation with Ducati so we do not repeat such a difficult race. Still, everyone is doing a great job, from the team to Ducati to myself. I believe tomorrow will be more manageable, and the goal is to return to normal and keep fighting.”
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
“It was a positive day, since I did everything well, especially in Qualifying. It was great to post a 57.1 in Q1 and then improve to a 56.8 in Q2, so I am happy with that result. In the Sprint, I started well and showed good consistency. If I had managed the first three laps a little better, I might have finished closer to the Top4 despite the tyre drop, but I am satisfied with eighth today. The team is working well, and we are focusing on some riding details. Tomorrow we aim to confirm we belong there.”
