For Danilo Petrucci, 2017 is a long-awaited year in which it will be fundamental not to make mistakes. “Three years ago I was fighting not to finish last and now I have a bike that can win races, if not the championship”, he breaks the tension. Today he unveiled his GP17, a factory bike identical to the one ridden by Lorenzo and Dovizioso.
“On days like today it’s easy to say that I have a great opportunity and it is the greatest one of my career, or to make proclamations, but I am starting this season with the intention of improving my results from 2015. Not 2016, because that was a complicated year - he reflects - So, I would like to pick up where I had left off then, from the Assen and Sachsenring races, where I was ahead, but I hadn’t closed the deal.”
Do you feel the responsibility of the factory bike?
“A lot. That’s normal. Now I have no more excuses (he laughs). And I will be compared directly with two of the best riders in MotoGP. Lorenzo and Dovizioso have won races and titles. I have not yet done one or the other.”
So how do you react?
“The pressure does not disappear. I am working to be able to be closer to them and it will not be easy. I want to become a mainstay for Ducati and I would like the two of them to be able to count on me. I want to deserve this opportunity.”
In a certain sense, you will also be a sort of tester in the races…
“That is normal. I knew what I was getting into and it is fair, because at the moment I am the slowest of the three riders who have factory Ducati machines. In the tests, I am the one who did the fewest laps because I had things to test. I see it in a positive light. I have a bike that lets me finish on the podium, if not win.”
Ducati also has another very particular tester: Stoner.
“He has a unique style and no one else uses his settings. His characteristics are too different from those of a normal rider. And he certainly has not forgotten how to ride (he laughs).”
In fact, he was ahead of many of the others…
“Looking at only one day of tests can be misleading, but he did not surprise me. I am lucky to be able to see him on the track and look at his data. He is a phenomenon, like Maradona. It doesn’t matter whether he trains or not.”
But what does a rider think when he finds him ahead in the rankings even if he is only a part-timer now?
“It pisses you off (he laughs) like when any other rider who has your same bike is ahead of you. It’s normal, because every rider thinks he is the fastest, or he wouldn’t have arrived in MotoGP. But the fact that you have to think about a year of races and he doesn’t gives you a bit of an excuse.”
Can you learn from Stoner?
“I have a great relationship with Casey. My dad worked with him and I have known him since I was young. The problem is that he rides without using the front brake and puts everything into acceleration, whereas I do the opposite. However, following his advice has helped me. I am happy to have been able to put it into practice.”
Another measuring stick for you is Lorenzo. What do you think of his start with Ducati?
“He has only done a few tests, so he can’t have a clear idea of the situation. I think that Jorge has not expressed his full potential. I noticed that watching him ride.”
Did you also notice other things?
“He still needs to adapt to the Ducati, a bike that lets you go fast, but has to be ridden a certain way. You have to fight your instinct and be methodical, which is a quality that Jorge is not lacking. It is just a question of time. Viñales, on the other hand, got on a bike that is already well sorted.”
You mentioned Viñales. Will he be a big fish for Rossi to fry?
“I have my own problems to think of (he laughs). I spoke with Valentino on the telephone and even he was surprised at how fast Maverick went, but Vale comes out during the race and I see him in the running for the Championship.”
What are your goals, on the other hand?
“Finishing in the top 10, that’s the first. I am working hard. For example, in these tests, I spent a lot of time looking at other riders’ data, looking for the details and I always found something that helped me.”
You are no longer an ‘uneducated’ rider?
“I am still a bad person (he laughs). All joking aside, you don’t need instinct in MotoGP. I am always an aggressive rider, a characteristic that I have carried with me from cross. I use my weight! Every now and then I go overboard, but fortunately there is respect between myself and all the other riders and they forgive me.”