It's a completely different Malaysian Grand Prix what was hoping Danilo Petrucci. Like all those who rode a Ducati. The future teammateAndrea Dovizioso equipped like him with the GP18 experienced disillusionment on a Sepang track considered until then to be friendly. Ninth, 22 seconds behind the winner Marc Marquez, Petrux did not emerge strengthened from this overseas campaign which did not convince in his abilities to play replacement for Jorge Lorenzo...
On this point, it must also be said that we are not going to ask him the same thing as Por Fuera. He will need to help a leader, not overshadow him. But in view, for example, of the provision of a Baptist at Phillip Island or even at Sepang, which gave him seven seconds at the finish, doubt set in. However, in Malaysia, they were first focused on motorcycles…
« I'm not happy because the race was really complicated » commented the teammate of a Miller who also finished in front of him. “ I fought with the bike throughout the race. This is certainly not the performance I was hoping for. My rear tire wore out very quickly. I couldn't be competitive. I hope that in Valencia I will have different sensations.”
He finishes : " I hoped to stay in the leading group. During the first laps, I didn't even stress my rear tire. But I had little grip, I lacked traction. We must hope that for the last test, with cooler temperatures, it will be less complicated ».
A deadline that Petrucci will approach with the still relevant possibility of finishing the year as best independent driver. He is only five points behind Johann zarco in this hierarchy.
Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang, MotoGP J.3: classification.
| 1 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | 40'32.372 |
| 2 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | +1.898 |
| 3 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | +2.474 |
| 4 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | +4.667 |
| 5 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | +6.190 |
| 6 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | +11.248 |
| 7 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | +15.611 |
| 8 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | +19.009 |
| 9 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | +22.921 |
| 10 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | +26.919 |
| 11 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | +29.503 |
| 12 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | +30.933 |
| 13 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | Honda | +35.322 |
| 14 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | +37.912 |
| 15 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | +39.675 |
| 16 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | +41.820 |
| 17 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | +43.978 |
| 18 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | +58.288 |
| 19 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | + 1'00.191 |
| Not Classified | ||||
| 44 | Pol Espargaró | KTM | 4 lapses | |
| 51 | Michael PIRRO | Ducati | 15 lapses | |
| 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 17 lapses | |
| Not Finished 1st Lap | ||||
| 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 0 laps |
