It will therefore be the role of Danilo Petrucci to take up the KTM torch, left by Pol Espargaró who has decided on the great challenge of his life: facing Marc Marquez in his Honda lair. The Italian was however led to the exit by Ducati, which, at first glance, is not encouraging. But the sports boss of the Mattighofen brand prefers to emphasize that he hired the one who finished sixth in the last MotoGP championship with a victory. And what's more, he is friendly while being an excellent customer of the brand...
Pete Beirer does not hide it, and he is the first to recognize it: “ finding a successor to Pol Espargaró was difficult ". And for good reason: the last MotoGP race took place in Valencia last November… “ Usually with driver commitments like this you use information like the latest GP results. But since nothing had happened on the circuit for months, we hadn't learned anything new. We had to listen to our instincts and remember the performance of 2019 ».
« When we spoke to Danilo, we noticed that he was an extremely nice guy. Which we particularly liked, of course.” Beirer adds: “he has purchased no less than eleven dirt bikes from KTM and Husqvarna in recent years ". In Mattighofen, we know how to reward our customers… That being said, there is also the pilot side: “ the most important aspect was: he is an experienced MotoGP rider with a GP victory. And you don't win a MotoGP race by accident. He is one of the few riders who can race MotoGP races at the highest level ».
Above all, he was one of the few to have found himself thus available: “ Danilo learned early on from his team that he no longer had a place in MotoGP. At the same time, we have a new high-end driver. From that point of view, it was love at first sight ". Downright !
The V4 school
Still, Petrux, despite his personal garage full of KTM, has never taken charge of an RC16. It will therefore be a total discovery, but Beirer insists it won't be a complete leap into the unknown for the Italian. Because it does not come from a Yamaha , but indeed of a Ducati, with an engine configuration identical to the RC16 and an equally recognized virile character…
Public chat Speedweek. com, Beirer explains this essential aspect to Günther Wiesinger: “ it is now proven that powerful V4s must be driven differently from in-line fours. At KTM we made a conscious decision to go for this more powerful concept. You need a very determined rider for such a brutal motorcycle ».
« But Danilo comes from a motorcycle with the same concept. That's why we don't expect an eye-opening experience with him like with other pilots who couldn't cope with the different concepts " finished Beirer. And we won't mention any names. Just the fact that the one whose identity we keep quiet is now on a Ducati...
