He did not draw the right number in the Sunday lottery which was played on an Assen track soaked by showers which drenched the MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix. And yet, he crossed the finish line in the lead in what was going to be the first race. But for nothing. This one is Danilo Petrucci who still regrets the betrayal of his Ducati GP15.
This eighth meeting of the season will definitely have disappointed a lot of people. Before a Jack Miller ecstatic, Yonny Hernandez saw the peak of his career before falling from a height while Danilo Petrucci was not more varnished. He too was able to win the day by taking the lead in the first race, one lap before its interruption. A blow to the sword but the Italian does not regret this cessation of hostilities: “ after my fall during FP4, I decided to go gradually to get the feel of the track. It dried a little at first and I decided to take a little more risk » explains the Pramac pilot.
« The rain returned and I took the lead. But the interruption was logical. The situation was impossible, we couldn't see anything, there was water everywhere, we were even skating in sixth gear at 280 km/h. It was quite worrying to be honest! We were like on a boat on the ocean ". So no regrets. All that remained was to do it again in the second half. But from the start, things went wrong: “ I accelerated for starting assistance on the grid and something happened with the alternator. My dashboard kept turning off and on again. I still left and I immediately saw Valentino and Dovi take a very fast pace ».
« Arriving at the last chicane, my dashboard definitely went out. I told myself, “It’s your day, nothing’s going to stop me.” I went inside at Miller at turn 1 then at window 5 my bike stopped due to an electrical problem. It was too cruel, I was instantly devastated. I was so good in both races, wet or dry, I was in the top 5. I'm disappointed, but aware of the extraordinary work we did. I would have deserved this victory, but I am sure that we will have other opportunities, starting with Germany ».
Erased from the tablets, he watched the consecration of Miller and he witnessed his teammate's podium Scott Redding. Last year, during an equally rainy British Grand Prix, he took second place. This year, he is returning from a serious hand injury which forced him to only start his season at the French Grand Prix. Until this Dutch retirement he regularly scored points in the top 10. He is currently seventeenth in the provisional general with 24 points, eight lengths from his partner who is in fourteenth.
