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SBK, Petrucci: “The disqualification was uncommentable and completely unfair”

“I weighed myself without the chest protector, which I had in the race. I paid to make an appeal, but it's always the FIM Stewards who decide. Before 2020 my weight wasn't an issue, but now it's affected. Today I finished Race 2 on the canvas"

SBK: Petrucci: “The disqualification was uncommentable and completely unfair”

The weekend at Barcelona didn't give much to smile about for Danilo Petrucci, who finished the Catalan weekend in 11th place in the Superpole Race and 12th in Race 2. A few measly points that made the rider from Terni lose ground in the standings, with the extra cold shower coming with his disqualification from Race 1: “Unfortunately we didn't get what we deserved. In my opinion, what happened yesterday is uncommentable, because you get a double Long Lap penalty for having touched the green with half a wheel; a Long Lap because you knock another rider to the ground and a disqualification because, when I weighed myself, I didn't have my chest protector with me because my assistant, who had gone to get me water, had it" said Danilo.

An episode, that of the disqualification, which Petrux simply can't understand: “The official who checks the chest protector on the grid passed by and I had it as always. After the race, I took everything off and gave my things to my assistant, asking him to bring me a drink. Meanwhile an official told me to go to get weighed. I had the assistant give me my gloves back before he brought me the water, but I forgot my chest protector. I weighed myself, the official asked me about protection and I explained the situation to him, he said 'go' and I left. I saw him writing and I thought he had added the 100 grams of protection. It finished there and then - said the Barni team rider - At 5 pm, they called me to Race Direction: disqualification. It was as if I had raced with a 1100 engine. A technical irregularity, because if you don't have a chest protector there is disqualification from the race. I paid 1320 euros in cash, without, among other things, receiving the receipt, to appeal the decision of the FIM Stewards and who decides on the appeal? Other FIM Stewards. It's an incredible conflict of interest, because you would have to say the opposite to your colleague. I felt really bad about this, because I've never been disqualified for something completely unfair. I was very disappointed for the team and for the few points we lost."

Points that the 32-year-old tried to recover in Race 2, until his tyres started to drop.

“This weekend we made small steps forward in braking. Today I tried to attack more in Race 2 and I thought I could be the best of the Independents. I was behind Aegerter all the race and when I tried to push a little more, the rear tyre dropped. I raised my times by 2” per lap and lost two positions in the last two laps, when I was riding on canvas. I'm so disappointed because we're close, but we always lack a little something and, despite all the work, we can't get the results we deserve - commented Danilo - Clearly we're not close to Bautista, who is doing a different job than the others, however I think I rode like Locatelli’s group for most of the race. I am very disappointed not to bring home at least one Top 5, like in Indonesia".

After all, Petrucci's performance is always affected by the age-old problem of weight, which has tormented him since his MotoGP years.

“I won't do the tests at Misano. We will do them at Mugello, on the 23rd and 24th, after the Le Mans race. We'll try other things there because here I sorted the bike under braking, but I have to give more gas to stay behind the others and I always come out of the corner sideways, because I lose a lot of lateral energy on the tyre when I open the gas and I can't go straight. The problem is that there's too much weight - he admitted - We're trying to figure out how to keep the bike straighter and open by putting the weight on the tyre longitudinally rather than transversely ”.

Analyzing the situation, the Barni team rider then added: “I was hoping that the weight problem would have been less, but unfortunately it does exist, as in the last two years in MotoGP. In KTM I didn't have a competitive bike and I was fighting for 16th place, here instead I have it and I manage to stay at least in the Top 10. But that's the problem. There was a moment in MotoGP where my weight helped. Between 2017 and 2019, Ducati began using the soft with Dovizioso and getting up front and managing the race going slowly to take the tyre to the end. It was the worst period for Bautista and Pedrosa, with the latter clearly saying: 'If these tyres are good for Petrucci, they can't be good for me' - recalled the rider from Terni - Just look at the results. Those a little heavier like me and Rossi were fighting for podiums, while Pedrosa had stopped and Bautista had switched to SBK because he couldn't use those tyres. Since 2020 the casing has completely changed and everything has changed. Pedrosa is very strong now, as is Bautista. It's a question of using the tyre as little as possible when you open the gas: the less weight you put on it, the more it supports you".

 

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