MotoGP: Petrucci: 'Another big opportunity'
Af🀅ter the opening seven rounds of last season, new factory Ducati team rider Danilo Petrucci was fourth in the standings with three successive podiums, including a debut MotoGP victory at Mugello.
A one-year contract extension duly foไllowed, but Petrucci wouldn't appear on the podium for the rest of the season, eventually slippi🍌ng to sixth in the world championship.
T🦋hat was still the Italian's best ever MotoGP ranking, continuing a trend of never finishing lower than the previou🤡s year since his 2012 debut (Petrucci finished eighth in both 2017 and 2018 at Pramac).
After the opening seven rounds of last season, new factory Ducati team rider Danilo Petrucci was fourth in the standings with three successive podiums🌠, including a de📖but MotoGP victory at Mugello.
A one-year contract extension duly followed, but Petrucci wouldn't appear on the podium for the rest of the season, eve🐓ntually slipಌping to sixth in the world championship.
That was still the Italian's best ever MotoGP ranking, continuing a trend of never finishing lower than the previous year since his 2012 debut (Petrucci finished eighth in both 2017 and 2018 at Pramac🔴).
"I just have another big opportunity to show, especially to myself, what I can do t🧸his year," Petrucci said at the Ducati team pr🐈esentation in Bologna on Thursday evening.
"Last year for me was a hard year, also a good year for su𝄹re. I didn’t like the way it finished but I learned a lot of things and have more experience.
"The beginning of the year was very good. I managed the pressure in a good way. Then I maybe did some mistakes, but I only recognised the mistakes now an📖d when I was in the middle of the championship I didn’t understand where I can be better."
One of the taller riders on the grid, Petrucci has long battled to be as light as po💞ssible to help his on track fortunes.
Although looking partic🍃ularly slim at the launch, he said: "Sincerely I didn't work mucꦍh more this winter, but I worked much calmer and let's say looking at the future, as I told you I have a big opportunity.
"I joined MotoGP in 2012 and every year since I've improved my position at t♊he end of the championship, I improved my𒁏 results, so the target is to be even better for this year.
"I'm really looki▨ng forward to start t🧔he year and just to ride the bike, which is what I love most."
Like most riders, Petrucci and title runner-up team-mate Andrea Dovizioso are out of contract at the end of this season. Pramac Ducati rider Jack Miller has made no secret of hi♒s desire to join the official team, with new Avintia signing Johann Zarco likewise aiming to impress the factory bosses for 2021.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzukiཧ exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
