Danilo Petrucci went like a cannonball into a Australian Grand Prix that he even led a few mothers. A flash in the pan, because the fiery Petrux burned himself out on the next bend, shooting straight into the gravel. Stuck in the peloton, he then battled to finish twelfth. Meanwhile, his teammate Miller played in a lead group where Baptist was the surprise guest with the official GP18. An unwelcome anonymity for a future official Ducati rider alongside Dovizioso. But Petrucci has an alibi…
Appearances are sometimes deceiving and technology reserves surprises which lead to disappointments. On his takeoff followed by a forced landing at Phillip Island, the Pramac pilot with the official contract explains: “ I was terribly ashamed to imagine what millions of viewers were thinking at home. After doing the Holeshot for the first time to find myself in the lead, I ended up directly in the gravel. I must have looked like an idiot ».
However : " the clutch jammed and the rear wheel drifted. I took the lever again but had to pull straight because Marquez had come back to my level. Maybe for me to have a good race, I have to miss my starts. The last time I had a good start was at Mugello and Marquez caught me ».
The race then continued for the 27-year-old driver: “ I felt really good after the morning warm-up, I was eighth. I knew I could have a good rhythm. And in fact, thanks to this pace, I was able to regain good positions in the race. However, I had made the wrong choice of front tire. The soft rubber was not ideal. He was destroyed at the end of the race. Despite everything, my pace was really good. It’s a missed opportunity… A top 5 would have been possible ».
But he keeps his spirits up: “ we have always been at the front during this Australian Grand Prix. That's why I'm going to Malaysia with a very positive feeling. I score four points and move up in the independent driver standings, although I would prefer to beat Cal on the track. Furthermore, I am still sixth in the championship, but Rins is only eight points behind me in tenth place overall. Places 5-10 are very tight. They are only separated by 19 points ».
Australian Grand Prix, Phillip Island, MotoGP J.3: classification.
| 1 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 40'51.081 |
| 2 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | +1.543 |
| 3 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | +1.832 |
| 4 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | +4.072 |
| 5 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | +5.017 |
| 6 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | +5.132 |
| 7 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | +6.756 |
| 8 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | +21.805 |
| 9 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | +22.904 |
| 10 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | +22.940 |
| 11 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | +34.386 |
| 12 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | +35.025 |
| 13 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | +36.348 |
| 14 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | +36.389 |
| 15 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | +44.214 |
| 16 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | +48.226 |
| 17 | 81 | Jordi TORRES | Ducati | + 1'04.965 |
| 18 | 7 | Mike JONES | Ducati | + 1'19.817 |
| Not Classified | ||||
| 44 | Pol Espargaró | KTM | 5 lapses | |
| 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | 9 lapses | |
| 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | 16 lapses | |
| 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | 22 lapses | |
| 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | 22 lapses |
