Danilo Petrucci doesn't expect the pressure on his shoulders to ease desp🌟ite his first podium for the factory Ducati team at Le Mans on Sunday.

However, with help from team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, Petrucci has been able to block out 🍎the critics and deliver his best result since the same French event las༺t year.

"No, it's since 2017 that people give me prꦯessure because the situation two years ago was with Lorenzo, last year the same," said the Italian, promoted to the official Ducati team in place ꩵof triple MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo but the only factory rider on a one-year contract.

"I always have a lot of pressure and I won nothing🤪 at the moment! I don’t imagine if I wi♉n something, one day... but people always like a lot to criticise me. I just don’t listen and I don’t care.

"For this, I have to say a big thanks to Andrea who after Austin talked to me and said not to care, push [to improve] your ♌weak points and find the way to en💧joy what you are doing. This has helped me a lot.

"This podium is also part of a big work that we made [training] with Andrea t﷽his winter and until now. But I always have this weight on my shoulder, maybe because I weigh a lot!"

After sixth and fifth places in the previous rounds, Petrucci qualified as the top Ducati in second and took the fight to Honda's ꧙world champion Marc Marquez in the early stages of the Le Mans race (pictured).

Mistakes then dropped Petrucci to sixth, but he fought through to finish in the 🐻wheeltracks of Dovizioso for third place.

"Today was just a very, very nice battle. At the beginning I was there with Marc and for sure h🦩e was controlling the race. I didn't want to lꦇet him go. but I made a big mistake in Turn 8 and lost three positions.

"Then I made another big mistake and I was in P6, like always. I said 'not today' and I start t🍒o push.

"At the end there was a good fight with Andrea. I didn't want to repeat Argentina [when Iannone took Dovizioso out] some 🤡years ago! So I said 'ok, I only try 🔯to pass where I can be sure'. He was better than me in acceleration which permitted him to be a bit far ahead in the braking area. But at the end it's a very good result for our team."

Despit🀅e the caution with Dovizioso, Petrucci's bike still finished the race a little battle-scarred.

"My bike was damaged on the right side, the winglet. I touched with Marc at corner one, but it was on the other side. Maybe it was with Pol Esparg𝐆aro. I hope Pol wasn't affected by that contact.

✱"Fortunately it was not a big damage… My bike is always damaged after the races! My leathers or bike always touch with⛄ someone."

Petrucci is now fifth in the world championsඣhip, one place and 15-points ﷽ahead of Pramac's Jack Miller, seen as his main rival for the 2020 Ducati team seat.