When starting his professional career, Danilo Petrucci was driven by this ambition generally shared by all of his colleagues to leave his mark on his sport. A desire that is traditionally materialized by a significant track record in the discipline mostly recognized as major in Grand Prix. The Italian reached this MotoGP, already following an original trajectory, but he was unable to play this title which he thought was the key to entering posterity. However, he then discovered that his destiny was definitely to do nothing like the others and he once again went off the beaten track to pursue a career which took such a turn that it has no equivalent in history. And it changed the vision of Petrux, who certainly remains a genuine motorcycle enthusiast.
Danilo Petrucci first excelled in the WSBK paddock before entering MotoGP through the back door, riding an underperforming Aprilia-based machine. Then he was adopted by Ducati where he grew up, becoming a double winner in the dry at Mugello in 2019 and in the rain at Le Mans in 2020. His best ranking in the world championship is a sixth place the year of his victory in his Italian Grand Prix. The red period then switched to KTM orange without much success to the point where he thought it was time to go green. Then came this opportunity to do the Dakar which changed everything… “ After my MotoGP career ended, it was a huge surprise when KTM included me in the factory Dakar team. This event will remain unforgettable. This makes me really, really happy he said.
« By participating in the Dakar, I acquired a different consciousness, another way of seeing the world " admitted Petrucci on speedweek. " I hope that one day other MotoGP riders can also experience a Dakar adventure like this. I think I have whetted the appetite of some colleagues » he assures. However, he also knows how to cool these possibly nascent ardors… “ I was in a terrible state after the Dakar Rally. I had a dislocated clavicle there and a dislocated radial bone in my wrist, plus another fracture. It wasn't easy to train afterwards and get back in shape. After all the problems of the Dakar, I was pretty broken mentally.. It was difficult for me to train again at first. But I quickly felt that it was time to return to competition ».
Danilo Petrucci: “je suis fier de tout ce que j’ai accompli"
And it's Ducati who came back to pick him up for another new adventure: that of the conquest of America: “ MotoAmerica is also a challenge » specifies the now rider of Team Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York. “ I haven't done much testing with the Panigale, but it's a good bike, although of course it's different from MotoGP bikes. ", observed Petrucci. " The Panigale was developed for Pirelli tires in the world championship, while in America we race with Dunlop, which has a different construction. So in this area we had to resolve some issues before the start of the season. I also had to know the new team because we only tested in Europe, the team didn't know me until the start in Texas. Fortunately, I gained enough experience in the MotoGP World Championship, so I knew very quickly the direction I wanted to take with the settings ».
A wise choice since Danilo Petrucci added two victories to his record and under the seal of the MotoAmerica Superbike series, from his first appearance in this competition at Austin. So yes, Petrux enters, in his own way, into history… “ I have always aimed to achieve something unique in the world of motorcycling », Finishes Danilo. “Now I am the only rider to have won in MotoGP, plus one stage of the Dakar and two rounds in MotoAmerica. But I couldn't realize my big dream because I wanted to be MotoGP World Champion. I gave everything for this – and I regret nothing. I'm proud of everything I've accomplished on a motorcycle ". A work which is, however, still unfinished. Looking forward to the sequel…
