But 𒀰the Italian ultiꦬmately declined the offer in order to focus on his MotoAmerica title challenge with Ducati.

“I will most likely be at Misano [as a spectator]🌺, but not on the Suzuki,” double MotoGP race winner Petrucci told . “I talked to Ducati, I thought about it all night, but my priority remains MotoAmerica.”

Petrucc✃i is currently locked in a close championship battle wit🌊h reigning MotoAmerica champion Jake Gagne, who is just one point ahead of the Italian with two rounds remaining.

Suzuki must ‘make every reasonable effort to provide a substitute rider’

Mir has been forced out of next weekend’s event after suffering bone and ligament injuries to his right ankle in a huge opening lap highside at the Red Bull Ri✨ng.

The MotoGP rules state that teams must ‘make every reasonable effort to provide a qualified substitute rider🐠… within 10 days of withdrawal’.

That would normally mean simply calling 🌱up Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli, who has made ten MotoGP appearances on the GSX-RR in receꦯnt years.

But the Frenchman is also unavailable, having injured his hand 🔜in preparation for the♉ Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race.

While there are plenty of ride🥂rs that would no doubt like to race a factory MotoGP bike, there are very few that are qualified to do so.

Firstly, substitutes are 'subject to approval by the Selection Committee’, a rule that was brought in after Avintia Ducati named CEV Superbike rider C﷽hristophe Ponsson as a surprise replಞacement for the 2018 Misano round.

Then, in order to take part in MotoGP qualifying, a replacement - like all riders - must set a lap time within 105% of the top during one of the four Free Pr💮actice sessions.

Both criteria favour those with previous MotoGP e💞xperience, but with Guintoli unavailable and a replacement technically needeꦫd, Suzuki has been forced to cast a wider net.

A World Superb🎶ike or top Moto2 r𓃲ider could be a viable option, with Garrett Gerloff and Jake Dixon doing a solid stand-in job for Yamaha last season.

But in Suzuki's case, all of the WorldSBK frontrunners are🎐 contracted to rival factories.

Meanwhile, most Moto2 riders, aside froꦐm having their own championships to consider, have no experience of a larger 1000cc m𝔍achine - let alone the unique tyres, electronics, ride-height devices and carbon brakes of a MotoGP prototype.

Dixon stands out from the Moto2 pack due to his previous Petronas Yamaha rides and other big-bike experience in BSB, but a Suzuki ride would halt his current rise up the Moto2 championship 🌟table, after podiums in the last three rounds for Aspar.

Instead, GPOne names young Italian Axel Bassani as next on the list (after Petrucci) at&nb✱sp;Suzuki. Bassini is seventh in the WorldSBK standings&🧔nbsp;with a best finish of fourth this season for the Motocorsa Ducati team. 

But&nbs🦩p;some suggest that - with Guintoli injured and Petrucci declining the chance - S♛uzuki has made a 'reasonable effort' and should be allowed to enter just a single bike for Alex Rins at Misano.