MotoGP Le Mans: Danilo Petrucci: 'Mission impossible', but can use 2020 Ducati set-up
Petrucci is🦹 stepping back into MotoGP, for the second time since his final full season in 2021, in place of the i🅠njured Enea Bastianini.
But it will be the 32-year-old Italian’s first ride on a Desmosedic꧅i since the 2020 season, when he swept to a wet victory at the same Le Mans circuit.
“They asꦕked me on Friday during𒁃 the [Catalunya WorldSBK] race weekend,” confirmed Petrucci, who is racing for Barni Ducati in his debut SBK campaign.
“The Superbike riders are testing in Misano now✅, but when they ask you to ride a bike that has won the World championꦉship last year, you can’t say no! So here I am.
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“It's an🅷other thing that I was not really expecting in my life, but in the last year, I did a lot of things! I'm really happy and proud to be here again. The last time I was here with Ducati I won the race. So really good memories.
“It's quite a ‘Mission Impossible’ to🤪 jump into a race weekend with no testing, nothing. But it's a little bit easier compared to last October in Thailand [with Suzuki] because that time ever🐼ything was really new except for the track.
“At least this time we already had𝄹 one briefing. We have a set-up. I know all the t𓆉eam. I know the bike, which is improved from three years ago.”
Petrucci’s return follows hot on the heels of a stunning one-off ride 🍃by KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa at Jerez.
“No, I wish!” he said of repeating Pedrosa’s top six form in the dry. “But first of all, Dani is Dani! Then I think he did a lot of kilometres on his bike in Jerez and I think no one can [teach] something to Dani in Jerez. He was like in his b🦩ackyard.”
Nonetheless, “I’ve bဣeen on the podium three times in a row at Le Mans. But these guys in MotoGP are reallౠy fast and I’m arriving without any tests…
“But from what I understood, we can use the setu🎃p I had here three ye✤ars ago.
“Fortunately, they still have all the data from 2020, and also my riding position, so at the end it's really like I had my bike. They don't tell me where the bike h๊as changed [since then], but I think the bike has improved a lot.
“I want to try the bike on the dry first, to understand how the bike ꧋has changed and everything and then, maybe also for the physical condition, I hope it will rain becඣause for sure I'm better in the rain.
“But I was really, really happy that in Thailand last year I did not finish last and I think that could be a tar꧋get also for this weeke🐈nd.
“On Sunday afternoon I will be happy anyway. Every time I come back in this paddock - in Austin last year when I was racing in MotoAmerica, t🦩hen in Thailand, then here - everyone is so nice to💙 me.
“I think this is the biggest victory. It's really difficult toꦆ cross the paddock for me, I don't know how many hands I shake! This is my biggest achievement, people being so nice to me.”
Petrucci will be riding alongside reigning world champion and 2💜023 title leader Francesco Bagnaia.
Peter has been in the paddock for 2ౠ0 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
