We saw him back on the podium in Race 1 in the UK wanting to prove he wasn't the third wheel. Now, for the Balaton round, Danilo Petrucci isn't hiding that he has greater ambitions and aims to annoy the two main contenders for the title.
"I had already been here, and I liked the track, but I see that several things have changed, especially the asphalt, and it seems to me that they've done a good job or, at least, changed everything we asked them to do. We'll see when we'll ride with the real bikes," he said about the debut in Hungary.
Petrux's wish is to see the stands full of fans. "As a track, it's quite short, but I think there could be a lot of spectators. I hope that the F1 next week won't have a negative affect. In my opinion, small circuits like this and Most should be favored. We should go in this direction as far as the category is concerned. Better here, where there's a crowd, than like Barcelona last year with forty-two spectators. It certainly gives more luster to the league," he reflected.
"I don't expect any other problem, since the track has been homologated. Plus, with several corners, there are going to be plenty of opportunities to overtake," he continued.
On the performance front, the rider from Terni has high expectations. "I hope to be closer to Bulega and Razgatlioglu, as well as to adapt immediately. My last circuit debut was Cremona in 2024, and I don't know why I was so fast. I don't think I'll be able to repeat myself. In any case, I feel good, and I think the podium may be feasible. Like I said, I'd like to be closer to the best because, currently, they're doing their own race. Sometimes I feel like I'm first because I don't even see them," he said, before talking about his future.
In particular, according to the latest rumors, the former MotoGP rider could be joining BMW in 2026. "It's a rumor that emerged after Donington and, honestly, I'd like to know more about it, too. There's nothing decided or factual, and I don't even think I'm the only one in talks with the Germans. Honestly, when I left England, I was convinced that I'd be signing with Barni the next day and, instead, we didn't reach an agreement. Then this opportunity came up. Honestly, I'm a bit sad since, even if I've always tried to join an official team, maybe it's because we did well last year, maybe it's because this is my fourth season with them between the Superstock and the SBK, but I've been struggling. It'll be a difficult decision to make from a human point of view, since I feel really good with both the team and the bike. I don't know if I'll be able to choose but, if so, it's going to be complicated," he revealed.
So far, BMW has only been competitive with the reigning Turkish champion. A rather significant detail. "The bike is winning but, since only Toprak is making a difference and Van der Mark is an unknown, it's not easy to pinpoint its real potential," he remarked.