MotoGP: Petrucci: 'Another big opportunity'
After the opening൩ seven rounds of last season, new fa꧟ctory Ducati team rider Danilo Petrucci was fourth in the standings with three successive podiums, including a debut MotoGP victory at Mugello.
A one-year contract extension duly followed, but Petrucci wouldn't appear on the podium for the rest of the season, eventuall⭕y slipping to sixth in the world championship.
That was still the Italian's best ever MotoGP ranking, continuing a trend of never finishing lower than the previous year since his 2012 debut (Petrucci finisheওd eighth in both 2017 and 2018 at Pramac🐻).
After the opening seven rounds of last season, new factory Ducati team rider Danilo Petrucci was fourth in the standings🔜 with three successive podiums, including a debut MotoGP victory at Mugello.
A one-year contract extension duly followed, but Petrucci wouldn🐭't appear on the podium for the rest of the season, eventually slipping to sixth in the world 🍌championship.
That was still the Italian's best ever MotoGP ranking, continuing a trend of never finishing 💎lower than the previous year since his 2012 debut (Petrucci finished eighth in both 2017 and 2018 at Pramac).
"I just have another big opportunity to show, espec⛦ially to myself, what I can do this year," Petrucci said at the Ducati team presentation in Bologna on Thursday evening.
"Last year for me was a ha♛rd year, also a good year for sure. I didn’t like the way൩ it finished but I learned a lot of things and have more experience.
"The beginning o🥃f the year was very good. I managed the pressure in a 🤪good way. Then I maybe did some mistakes, but I only recognised the mistakes now and when I was in the middle of the championship I didn’t understand where I can be better."
One of the taller riders on the grid, Petrucci has long🌞 battled to beജ as light as possible to help his on track fortunes.
Although looking particularly slim at the launch, he said: "Sincerely I didn't work much more this wint﷽er, but I worked much calmer and let's say looking at the future, as I told you I have a big opportunity.
"I joined MotoGP in 2012 and every year since I've improved my positioꦯn at the end of the championship, I improved my results, so the target is to be even better for this year.
"I'm really looking forward to start the 🎐year and just to ride the bike, which is what I l🎉ove most."
Like most riders, Petrucci and title runner-up team-mꦰate Andrea Dovizioso are out of contract at the end of this season. Pramac Ducati rider Jack Miller has made no secret of his desire to join the official team, with new Avintia signing Johann Zarco likewise aiming to impress the factory bosses for 2021.
Pe𓆉ter has been in the paddock for 20 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.
