Fabio Di Giannantonio has spoken of his pleasure in battling an “aggressive” Marc Marquez at the Brazilian MotoGP.
Di Giannantonio and Marquez battled for the win in the Sprint on Saturday, with Marquez coming out on top on that occasion to take his first victory of the 2026 season in either MotoGP race format.
On Sunday, they fought over third place behind the dominant factory Aprilias, and this time it was Di Giannantonio who emerged victorious after Marquez slid wide at turn 11 where the condition of the track surface was deteriorating.
For Di Giannantonio, it was an enjoyable battle, although he admitted that its result possibly created a biassed opinion for him.
“Today it was ‘me or me’,” Di Giannantonio told the post-race press conference in Brazil.
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“I was fully committed. I had some time to make the pass, then he made exactly the same mistake as I’d done yesterday – was completely the same.
“So, I made the pass there, but then the fight was super-fun.
“As always, a bit aggressive with him, but super-fun, at the end clean, so happy. I enjoyed it.
“Maybe I enjoyed it more because I won the battle!”
Di Giannantonio’s podium marked the third time Di Giannantonio had been the leading Ducati in the last three races, after he finished third behind Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez in Valencia last November, and sixth at the opening round of 2026 in Thailand when Marquez retired with wheel rim damage. It also meant Marquez still hasn’t been the lead Ducati rider over the line of a grand prix since he won in San Marino last September.
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The Italian now sits fourth in the MotoGP riders’ standings behind the two Aprilias and Pedro Acosta, who was seventh in Brazil and the only KTM rider in the top-10. Di Giannantonio is also ahead of Marquez in the championship by three points.
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