WATCH: VR46 Ducati's Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio crash out early at San Marino MotoGP sprint race

During the 2024 San Marino MotoGP Sprint race, VR46 Ducati teammates Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio both saw their races end prematurely within the first four laps. The highly anticipated race, held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, was supposed to be a showcase of VR46’s competitive edge, but instead, it turned into a nightmare for the Italian team.

Marco Bezzecchi, who had shown promising form throughout the weekend by qualifying on the front row, had a disastrous start to the race. He found himself dropping down the order, losing several positions right from the opening lap. By the time he reached Turn 2 on the fifth lap, Bezzecchi's race came to a sudden end when he crashed out, marking a bitter end to what could have been a podium contention run.

Here is the video:

More heartbreak for the @VR46RacingTeam squad 😱



Bezzecchi has now gone down too and it looks like a fire extinguisher will be needed 💨👀#SanMarinoGP 🇸🇲 pic.twitter.com/d72L6hKDTo

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 7, 2024

Di Giannantonio retires after crash

Fabio Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi's VR46 teammate, also faced misfortune early in the race. The Italian rider, who had hoped to capitalize on his home advantage, crashed at Turn 14 during the second lap.

Here is the video: 

Heartbreak in @VR46racingTeam 💔@FabioDiggia49 has gone down 💥#SanMarinoGP 🇸🇲 pic.twitter.com/ubeauLOTln

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) September 7, 2024

Although Di Giannantonio attempted to continue after the crash, his efforts proved futile. He rejoined the race only to retire later, pulling into the pits and ending his day in disappointment. The double DNF for the VR46 Ducati team was a significant setback, especially at a circuit that is so crucial for Italian riders and teams.

Both Bezzecchi and Di Giannantonio had been looking to make a strong statement in front of their home crowd, but the crashes dashed those hopes. Meanwhile, the race itself saw Jorge Martin capitalizing on the situation as he surged to victory, beating title rival Francesco Bagnaia. Martin’s win not only secured crucial points but also extended his lead in the championship standings.

As for the VR46 Ducati team, the focus now shifts to regrouping and analyzing what went wrong. With the full-length race still to come, there remains a chance for redemption, but the pressure will undoubtedly be higher after the early exits of both riders in the sprint race. The Misano circuit, usually a source of pride for Italian riders, proved to be an unforgiving challenge this time around.