The end of the game is coming for Danilo Petrucci despite the reassuring words about him still in force in the corridors of his employer. But from the Portuguese Grand Prix, Petrux knew what was going on: “ we will see if you are still desirable as a MotoGP rider with almost 80 kg today “, he then declared. The fact is that greatness is his decadence since Raul Fernandez, 19 years old, would already be assured of the handlebars of the RC16 of the Italian at Tech3.
« One of my problems is that I'm so tall » repeats ad nauseam Danilo Petrucci, whose measurements, all the same, do not date from yesterday... When KTM hired him he was already 1m84 tall and 78 kilos and the development pilot was indeed Dani Pedrosa, with jockey's power-to-weight ratio. But Petrux had just Ducati, and he is a double winner in MotoGP. However, we seem to have underestimated the equation in Mattighofen.
Still, we made efforts. New parts, such as a longer swingarm, had to be manufactured and a completely different setup had to be developed for his RC16. “ I'm one of the greatest MotoGP riders, but these bikes are made for "normal" people » he said before detailing motogp.com his ordeal: the distance between the saddle and the footrest has been increased. My legs are so long that I need more space. If there isn't enough space and my legs are bent too much, I can't develop my strength properly, especially when changing direction "He says.
There is also another measure that the team Tech3 taken to make the control of Petrucci More comfortable : " we can change the angle of the handlebars so that the wrists are further apart than at a smaller angle. Of course, this also has an influence on the aerodynamics and therefore the top speed ". Finally, the RC16 was adapted to the body size and needs of “Petrux” in the seat area and in the tank area.
Danilo Petrucci: “ I also want to be one of those riders that KTM is proud of«
But that doesn't seem to be enough. Unlike previous years when he was on Ducati, he has not yet managed to enter the top 3 with the KTM. His best result as a Tech3 driver to date is fifth overall. French Grand Prix at Le Mans, the only race this half-season which partially took place on a wet track.
An insufficient balance sheet so that rumor has it that Raul Fernandez be announced as a teammate of Remy Gardner in MotoGP in August or mid-September for Aragon or Misano. It will be recalled that the Australian and the Spaniard have already won seven of the nine Moto2 races in 2021. But even if the cause seems lost, Petrucci wants to leave the place with his head held high: “ I also want to soon be one of those riders that KTM is proud of ". What happens next for the Italian remains unclear: test rider and Dakar with KTM or a reunion with Ducati in WSBK are the tracks mentioned.
