Danilo Petrucci is now an accomplished Superbike rider having just made his very first time at Phillip Island with da Ducati Barni. A virginity taken with a certain violence during the 10-lap Superpole race, a format that he did not know and where he admits to having been pushed around literally and figuratively by the regulars of this competition. He promises that we won't do it again and next weekend in Mandalika he will do it again.
Danilo Petrucci comes out of his first fight in World Superbike marked, but happy. Ducati rider Barni leaves Australia with an eighth, an eleventh, then a ninth place. An honorable course which also and logically revealed his inexperience and particularly during the race Super poles… Petrux comments on this particular case: “ as a goal I gave myself three top 10s, instead my face still hurts from all the slaps I received this morning in the Superpole Race ».
He explains how he experienced this melee: “ it was more of a street fight than a race. I finished without the fins because I lost them on the first lap. Everyone is immediately like they're attacking in the last lap and I'm not used to that. The Superpole Race was bad for me, and I must try to understand first of all the different attitude of these pilots and these tires which have great potential from the first lap. I wasn't used to going all out like that right away anymore. I paid for not having experience in short races, took up a few places at the start and had a bad first lap. In a race of only 10 laps you can't afford that ».
An analysis which will undoubtedly raise awareness among his former MotoGP colleagues who will have to face the sprint races this year in a new Grand Prix format… But otherwise, there was also Race 2, at the more traditional distance: “ in Race 2, Aegerter fucked me. I thought I could catch up with the top group because they were making a bit of a mess when Toprak and Lowes crashed and I was behind them thinking that maybe they had finished their tires. But then they got back those two or three tenths that I had taken from them. I still lack a bit of confidence with this compound up front in the fast sections and I couldn't catch them ».
Danilo Petrucci: “ trust is a secret world that only comes from feelings and sensations, not from computers«
He adds : " there were two or three corners in which I took a tenth or two in each and they escaped me, even if in the rest of the track I did the same as them. Then in the last four laps the tire dropped a lot and I couldn't stay behind Aegerter, Lecuona and Rea. I thought I could enter the battle for fourth place, but in the last laps they were running a low 1'32" and I was in 1'33" »
He finishes : " I have to be happy even though I would like to see myself higher, but these guys are really strong, and they hit hard ". To start with Alvaro Bautista, the official Ducati : " he really has the bike in his hands. He has impressive confidence going forward. Unfortunately, this is the only thing that cannot be calculated with computers. Trust is a secret world that only comes from feelings and sensations... ».
For the rest in Indonesia, he says: “ the goal is to stay ahead, we are still missing something, but we are not that far away. We worked well and I can be satisfied with the progress we have made with the team. This year, everyone expects so much from me. I have to do better. Mandalika is going to be very hard, especially because I don’t even know where the first turn is… ».
WSBK Superbike Phillip Island Race 2: standings
Credit classification wsbk.com
