This edition of Argentine Grand Prix will not leave Ducati with good memories. The first line ofAbraham on the GP15 and the final fourth place of Baptist on the GP16 will not have consoled the Borgo Panigale factory when it comes time to take stock. Because the two official drivers ended up on the ground while tension arose between Dovizioso and Petrucci, the last driver at the helm of a GP17 which did less well than its older sisters. The Pramac driver certainly finished his race by taking the points for seventh place. But the Italian was plagued by anxiety about his fuel consumption.
Danilo Petrucci didn't just make friends on the Termas de Rio Hondo track. He even attracted the wrath of his compatriot Dovizioso to whom he did not give any gifts despite his status as an official Ducati rider. The teammate of a Lorenzo who had abandoned at the first turn was castigated for a driving style considered to be outside the rules of the art. But there was a reason: Petrucci defended its position by managing a consumer problem.
The teammate of a Redding who finished eighth explains: “ the start of the race was very good and I was fighting for fourth place with Rossi and Pedrosa. But from the seventh or eighth lap, I had an alert about my fuel consumption. I was forced to switch to an electronic mode which gave me the minimum engine power ».
From there, Petrux defended himself with his weapons: “ in the straight, everyone was overtaking me. But as I have good braking, I was able to catch up with my opponents before taking the corner, even when I was on the outside ". We therefore understand better the door closures deplored by Dovi. But it wasn’t just autonomy that was under caution: “ my rear tire also had problems. I had no more traction and after ten laps I lost contact with Folger because of that ».
The explanation given for all these pitfalls is that of the choice of a hard rear tire which, linked to Petrucci's driving style, caused enough slippage to cause excessive fuel and rubber consumption. It will be recalled that, among the officials in red, we opted for a medium rear.
« I am nevertheless happy with my result » Petrucci finishes. “ I said my goal here was a top 8 ". Mission accomplished, but also thanks to several falls in front of him. And also just behind, with that of Dovizioso hung by Aleix Espargaro. But we know that DesmoDovi does not hold a grudge against the Aprilia official. Towards the Pramac resident on the other hand…
