After two difficult races, Danilo Petrucci closes the Phillip Island WorldSBK round with his first podium of the season, in the final race of the weekend.
About Diana Tamantini / Corsedimoto.com
After an unlucky race 1 and a disappointing Superpole race, came a good third place for Danilo Petrucci. In the last race of the Australian weekend, the Barni Ducati rider managed to be a real protagonist and get on his first podium of the season. A result that arrived just at the end thanks to the fall ofAndrea Locatelli, but Petrux was close, and so there are reasons to smile as the first round of 2024 concludes at Phillip Island. We now have to take a break before the Catalunya round, anticipated by tests, but today's 3rd place is a guarantee of confidence for the rest of the season.
Immediately in the leading group
“It’s fantastic to finish on the podium! A great race and a great battle” is the first comment of a Danilo Petrucci satisfied. From Race 1, he was aiming for the podium, before the unfortunate episode of the pit stop... Today, the driver from Terni was able to make up for it with interest, notably by quickly forgetting the first race on Sunday. " I do not didn't feel very good with the bike, I don't know exactly why", admitted Petrucci.
“In race 2, I was on the other hand
a little more nervous but I was in the lead group from the start and I always stayed there. »
On the other hand, there was no shortage of red flags due to the fall of Jonathan Rhea, of which driver no. 9 was the first spectator. “ I was right behind him, it wasn't cool “, he admitted. The race then resumed and Petrux settled back into the higher areas of the standings.
Danilo Petrucci smiles
The objective was to finish as the best independent driver, but there was no shortage of battle to achieve this. Just as fierce Andrea Iannone
had the same objective after the technical problem that occurred during the Superpole Race. “ He passed me all the time”, Petrucci said. But it was on the very last lap that the Barni driver got on the podium:
“When I passed him [Iannone], I saw Andrea [Locatelli] lose the rear and fall. I then said to myself : 'Come on Danilo, just a half turn'”. Petrucci can smile this time. “ I really like this circuit, but for one reason or another… This time, on the contrary, I am happy”, he stressed. A third place in the Superbike World Championship is not easy. “I've said it before: there are always 12 to 15 drivers for the podium. It's good for the championship, but for us it's difficult, we are all very close," he concludes with a laugh.
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Diana Tamantini
Results of the Superbike Superpole race at Phillip Island:
Results of race-2 of the Superbikes at Phillip Island:
Photo credits and rankings: Worldsbk.com
