The Covid delay ꧅to the Moto⛎GP season meant Danilo Petrucci missed out on the chance to try and defend his factory Ducati seat for 2021.

After a disappointing end to last season, following his emotional home Mugello win, the Italian came into the year knowing his place was under pressꦇure and a strong start to this year's world championship would be vital.

But wiꦫth racing put on hold, Ducati ultimately took the decision to replace Petrucci with Jack Miller before a racing lap had been completed.

The decision put Petrucci's MotoGP career in serious dou𝐆bt, but Pol Espargaro's switch to Repsol Honda suddenly opened up a vacancy at KTM.

Other proven race winners, including Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, were also in contention. 168🅺澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:But Petrucci's enthusiasm to join a factory that wa꧙s yet to finish higher than sixth place in a dry race (equal to Aprilia's best result) won the day.

It proved to be an inspired move...

By the end of 2020, KTM had tak♑en eight podiums and three MotoGP wins, including two by Miguel Oliveira, whose Tech3 seat Petrucci will inherit in 2021.

"It has bee𒅌n a very strange situation," Petrucci said of losing his Ducati place before the season had begun. "But all the things happening in the world this year have been very strange.

"For sure the day that Gigi [Dall’Igna] called me and saiꩵd that I was not anymore in the factory team was a very sad day. Because I felt like I had failed my mission.

"But looking back I have to say t♒hanks to him, because his move permits me to stay in another factory that is really, really competitive. Everybody at the beginning of the season didn't think KTM was so fast, but now the results are the best possible.

"So I'm happy that Gigi fired me at the b🍃eginning of the season!" he s🍬miled.

Although Petrucci managed a second MotoGP win this season, in the wet at Le Mans, it was one of only two events where he felt comfortable on the Desmosedici GP20 with the revised Michelin rear tyre constructioℱn.

"For sure I never found a really good feeling, I only really felt it was 'my bike' just in Barcelon🌊a, we struggled a lot on the straight, and then Le Mans, where I was always competitive both in the wet and dry," Petrucci said.

"But the main problem was th💯e braking area, all the season. And this race [Portimao finale] also, like i🍰n Valencia, we struggled with the grip and never found a good bike.

"The bike has changed a bit compared to las💖t year, but regarding the rear tyre was the main thing. I'🅘m not happy because – except for two races – I never found a really good feeling. But I always gave my best, sometimes it worked, sometimes not."

While his future bike won at Portimao in the hands of Olꦬiveira, Petrucci signed off six-years at Ducati with just 16th place.

"Really difficu❀lt, especially to finish outside the points with so many problems and struggling a lot was very, let's say, crazy," he said. "I fought with the bike all weekend, which I didn't expect sincerely. I wanted to be faster but it was the maximum I could do. I never found a good pac♛e, a good feeling on the bike.

"Anyway, I'm happy it's finished. For sure, I wan🍸ted to finish in a better way but I struggled so much today to find a good feeling."

The only downside to KTM's succ🔴ess this season is that, having losℱt technical concessions, Petrucci now has to wait until Sepang in February to make his RC16 debut.

"Unfortunately [KTM] lost concessions, the ꦅfree testing, so I have to try the bike in February," he confirmed. "But I will go in the wind tunnel next week and it will be very important because the top speed this year for me has been a problem."

Other than that, Petrucci's winter plans consist of, "riding motocross 🍨so much... witꦫhout covering the brand of the bike!

"I don’t know if it will be possible to travel ouꦉtside of Italy. At the moment I hope just that the situation in the world g🌱ets better. That's the only thing."

A career-best sixth in last year🐼's world ch♏ampionship, Petrucci slipped to twelfth this season, when Ducati's only other race win was by Dovizioso in Austria.

Dovizioꦛso, who eventually finished fourth in the standings, was initially expected to stay alongside Miller next season.

Instead, the #4 calജled off contract talks with Ducati&nbs🍌p;in mid-August, meaning the official team will have a new line-up of Miller (seventh in the world championship) and Francesco Bagnaia (16th) in 2021.