German MotoGP: Petrucci: Sachsenring a 'good opportunity, we can be fast'

Access to the latest KTM chassis combined with the lowest top speeds of the season means Dani🥃lo Petrucci views this weekend's German MotoGP as a 'good opportunit꧟y'.
The Italian has claimed a best finish of fifth place during his seven races so far for the Tech3 team, but that came in the rain at Le Mans and the former D🐲ucati rider's best in the dry is a more modest ninth at Mugello.
But while the new KTM chassis is a help in cornering, top speed is Petrucci's biggest concern at present - something that will be less important than usual in Germany, the s🌱hortest track on the calendar.
“I am very positive about Germany, because it’s a track, that I a🐼♒lways liked and which suits me well, mainly because there are not many slow corners," said Petrucci, who finished fourth as a Ducati rider in 2018 and 2019.
"It’s 𝓀a small track, so we have no long straight, which makes it a bit easier for us. I think we can be really fast there and it’s a good opportunity to show our progress this weekend.”
With MotoGP not visiting the Sachsenring since 2019, team-mate Iker Lecuona has never ridden a premier-class ﷽bike at the track, which was not part of the shortened 2020 season.
“I’m really looking forward to Sachsenring. This weekend, I want to continue with my performance. We improved a lot during the last races and ar🃏e able to fight for the top 10 consistently now," said the Spaniard, who has a best finish of ninth in the wet and🍎 eleventh in the dry so far this season.
"I like the track in Germany a lot, so I expect we can have a very good race weekend. For sure, the main obje🌌ctive is to keep our way, as after Barcelona I felt pretty strong.”
Both Tec🎉h3 riders are currently competing for the remaining 2022 MotoGP seat alongside Remy Gardn🐠er.
Team boss Herve Poncharal hinted that a decision could be ♌made during the summer break, which follows the back-to-back Sachsenring and Assen even🥀ts.
“We are now entering in the final straight of the first part of the season and clearly, the two upcoming back-𒆙to-back races prior to the summer break area going to be very important as we know the whole grid is preparing its 2022 line up," Poncharal said.
The Frenchman added that the target for his riders will be to get closer to factory riders Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira, the Portuguese taking KTM's first win of the seas🎃on last time out in Catalunya.
"We can’t wait to start Friday’s FP1 on that great Sac♉hsenring circuit and hopefully we will b𝓀e able to be closer to the Factory riders, Miguel and Brad, which is always our target," he said.
"I have to repeat that it was a great emotion to see Miguel winning the Catalan GP aboard his KTM RC16,🧸 so let’s try to be close to him. That’s our mission!”

Peter has beဣen 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.