Still motivated by his challenge in Superbike, the very eclectic Danilo Petrucci had to face a Andrea Iannone performing very well in Australia in the fight for the title of best independent driver.
Qualified in 5th position on the starting grid at Phillip Island, petrux finished 4th in race 1, 3rd in the Superpole race and 5th in race 2, a nice improvement on last year.
He nevertheless leaves Australia 4 points behind his compatriot from Abruzzo and 1 point ahead of Scott Redding, this year also on a Ducati V4R; the battle promises to be fierce throughout the season between these three...
Danilo Petrucci spoke to the official website WorldSBK.com : “In the end it was a good Sunday. Yes, the goal of getting on the podium at least once was achieved. So yes, I am happy because compared to last year’s performance we improved. I have to say that I would have liked to be a little faster in the afternoon, but I was waiting for the second part of the race and I had contact with Toprak: I lost a few positions and a few seconds. Then I was not able to recover that gap with the other guys on the podium. I was still there, but the pace was more or less the same.
In the end, you know, we were always in the top 5: 4th or 3rd and 5th, that's good and that's quite a few points. Yes, I can say it was a positive weekend."
Without this problem with Toprak Razgatioglu, was the podium also possible in race-2?
“Yes, maybe. We had a good fight with Andrea and Scott, but in the end the race here at Phillip Island is always like that. All week we showed great potential and speed but, except for Nicolo who did a completely different job, from 2nd to 6th place we were all very close. Yes, it was difficult but in the end we managed not to make any mistakes and I am happy.”
An improvement over last year…
“It’s always good because you know, especially last year I was on the podium in race 2, but before that I finished I think 7th and 15th in the previous races. This year I finished 4th and 3rd, so yes more points. It’s a good start to the season. We want to improve on last year’s performance in the championship, so for the first weekend the work is good.”
About Nicolo Bulega's performance…
“10 out of 10, leading all the sessions, he was absolutely faster than anyone. No, there’s not a lot of discussion about it, and I really like Nicolo, but let’s say I have a good relationship with all the riders. I really enjoy racing here in Superbike, but Nicolo is really, really committed this year, and I think with one more year of experience he’ll have a good fight with Toprak. Of course, Phillip Island is always a very different track, but perhaps that to reveal the true potential of each one, we will see that from Portimão. But for now, Nicolo has done a different job.
With 5 Ducati in the top five this morning in the Superpole race, then 6 Ducati in the top 6 in race-2, the controversy is starting to emerge on the fairness of the Balance of Performance. But Danilo Petrucci pretends not to understand the essence of the question…
“Yes, yes, for sure Phillip Island is special, and yes Ducati is doing well, but in the end I would like to see this kind of performance every weekend, to maybe improve our results and get on the podium, and maybe take another victory soon.”
Superbike general classification after Phillip Island in Australia:
Classification credit: WorldSBK.com
Danilo Petrucci Australia Danilo Petrucci Australia
