You are here

MotoGP, Assen, Petrucci:"Penalised? I'll ask for an explanation about Marquez"

Danilo on row four and under threat of a penalty. "Marquez ran me off track at Mugello, I didn't touch anyone"

MotoGP: Assen, Petrucci:"Penalised? I'll ask for an explanation about Marquez"

Share


It wasn't a great qualifying session at Assen for Danilo Petrucci, who was unable to achieve more than eleventh on the grid. Forced to start from row four, the Team Pramac rider was also called in to explain his slowing on track during Q2. The fact he might be penalised for this move is not something Petrux particularly appreciates, the Italian quick to explain: "If it happens, I'll ask why Marquez wasn't penalised at Mugello - attacks Danilo  seeing as he ran me off track and made contact. I touched no-one today and bothered no-one, so I don't know what to think. I've not yet gone to the commission, we'll see..."

Analysing his qualifying performance, it seems clear that Petrucci was unable to express the potential he's demonstrated in earlier sessions: "I'm not happy of course, I expected to do better, our potential was greater. Unfortunately I made a mistake, I was worried that the tyres might cool down too much. Then, when I went out for a second try, I had cold tyres through the first and second sectors and went slowly. In the third and fourth sectors I was quick, but it wasn't enough. A pity, I had the potential to be a row or two further forward". 

"I think finishing top five would be a great result, but I don't know. It'll be tough from so far back. It would be plausible it we were starting from the front two rows, but it will be difficult now".

It's not just a question of pure speed in Petrucci's mind. His main worry regards the tyre: "Maybe we can try something different in terms of set-up tomorrow, but in FP4 we saw that we don't have a very fast pace. We're suffering because temperatures are high and the tyres heat up too much. Sure, we're all very close, but starting on row four is a problem".

The overheating of tyres could potentially become more of an issue if a rider makes an aggressive start, in an attempt to make up positions: "We need a real flying first lap! It won't be easy, I need to make a good start and get some passes in. But it's clear we're already struggling to keep the tyres at the right temperature. So we need to understand how to keep the tyres at low temperature in the race, but making many passes is not the best way to do that of course." 

 

 

Translated by Heather Watson
__

Related articles