        One of the most highly anticipated aspects of the Thai GP was indoubtedly the (re)appearance of Danilo Petrucci as a Suzuki wildcard. The Italian returns to MotoGP almost a year after his last race and at the end of a 2022 that has seen him competing on various fronts. First in the Dakar, where he became the first rider to have won both a stage of the historic rally and a world championship race, and then in MotoAmerica, a series that concluded just a few days ago and in which Petrucci finished second overall! &nbsp;The Italian has spoken to Sky Sport about how it feels to return to the MotoGP paddock: "I really appreciate people&rsquo;s warm welcome; I could already feel the affection last year at Valencia. It&rsquo;s been great to realise how many people are pleased to see me".&nbsp; A 2022 to frame: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m grateful to KTM, Ducati and Suzuki" It&rsquo;s been a very intense year of racing for Danilo Petrucci, who has gone from the Dakar to MotoAmerica to the Thai GP, in which he&rsquo;ll ride a Suzuki while standing in for injured Joan Mir. The Italian had this to say: &ldquo;I can say that I&rsquo;ve ridden the best bikes that these manufacturers produce. In 2022, I have many tales to tell. I&rsquo;m grateful to KTM, Ducati and Suzuki, all of whom have allowed me to ride their best bikes, in the Dakar, in MotoAmerica and now in MotoGP. Last year I wasn&rsquo;t happy, while this year the motorcycle world has given me a real gift. Not many riders can say they&rsquo;ve done what I&rsquo;ve done this year&rdquo;. At the end of free practice, Petrucci explains how the agreement that sees him competing as a wildcard in Thailand actually came about: &ldquo;I can still barely believe I&rsquo;m here. Livio Suppo called me before the MotoAmerica race. I had to decide right away because there wasn&rsquo;t time, I left Atlanta immediately and arrived in Thailand. My leathers arrived today so it all&rsquo;s gone perfectly. The Suzuki is fantastic, now I understand why everyone wants to ride it. I immediately felt comfortable and was also fast on used tyres, just a second slower in terms of pace than the quickest guys". Danilo Petrucci and the future: "The Dakar? I want to prepare well for 2024" The Italian goes on to admit: "I was meant to do an enduro race, I&rsquo;d even paid the entry fee but then I realised that I might not get another chance to race in MotoGP with Suzuki&rdquo;. Many ask where the rider&rsquo;s future lies, Danilo himself admitting that he has various options: "I don&rsquo;t know what I&rsquo;ll do next year. I have options but I don&rsquo;t know what I&rsquo;ll do. The Dakar could be a goal for 2024, I&rsquo;d want to prepare well next year&rdquo;. Traslated by Heather Watson       

At the end of MotoGP free practice, the Italian explains what led him to ride the Hamamatsu bike

GP Thailand, Petrucci: “Dakar, MotoAmerica and now MotoGP. Few have done that"

        The latest MotoAmerica race weekend in New Jersey has ensured the championship remains open, with Jake Gagne winning in Race 1 and Danilo Petrucci dominating in a wet Race 2. One win apiece that confirms just how evenly matched the two title contenders really are, separated by just four points in favour of the current Yamaha champion, and with only one round still to run. The grand finale will play out over the weekend of 23-25 September at the Barber Motorsports Park, in Alabama, where unstable weather may again play an important role and where Danilo has already ridden, during a test in May. The final weekend will also establish who finishes third overall, with the two South Africans Cameron Petersen and Mathew Scholtz separated by 17 points with 50 still to play for. The standings prior to the last round  Here is the championship situation after New Jersey, with just two races in Alabama still to run: 1) Jake Gagne (Yamaha) - 331 points 2) Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) - 327 3) Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) - 272 4) Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) - 255 5) Hector Barbera (BMW) - 173 6) PJ Jacobsen (BMW) - 141 Translated by Heather Watson Exclusive, Lucchinelli: &ldquo;May the most deserving rider win MotoGP, although...&rdquo;       

Following on from his Race 2 win, Danilo Petrucci has again closed in on leader Gagne. Here, the situation prior to the final round

MotoAmerica: the championship standings after the New Jersey round

        In just a short space of time, Danilo Petrucci has experienced a range of adventures and emotions, leaving MotoGP, taking part in a wonderful Dakar, before competing in MotoAmerica Superbike. And now World Superbike looms, with increasing intensity, on the horizon, the Italian looking to be a possible wildcard entry at the Portim&atilde;o round. Speaking to us over the phone, he admitted: &ldquo;There is this possibility that has come about thanks to my Warhorse HSBK Racing team, but it&rsquo;s just an idea for now. Here in America we still have a lot to do, we&rsquo;re not even half way through the championship. It would be a great thing to do, but it&rsquo;d all need to be organized.&rdquo; So it&rsquo;s all still up in the air. "Logistically, it&rsquo;s not easy and, above all, it&rsquo;s not cheap to send the crates from America to then send them back here. It&rsquo;s an idea to develop. We&rsquo;ll see how the championship pans out and, more importantly, whether I&rsquo;ll be in WorldSBK next year. In that case, it would make sense, otherwise just a one shot... I haven&rsquo;t yet thought about what to do next year, I&rsquo;m trying to live in the moment and do as well as I can here in America.&rdquo; Do you have offers on the table? "If I win the championship this year, I might have a chance to race with Ducati in WorldSBK, but it&rsquo;s still a decision I need to make. I had the same opportunity last year and a couple of years ago, but I didn&rsquo;t take it because I needed to take a break and reduce the pressure of MotoGP. That&rsquo;s why I chose the Dakar and why I&rsquo;m here in MotoAmerica. I need to get that hunger back, the motivation to do WorldSBK.&rdquo; How attracted are you by the championship? "Very. I&rsquo;d really like to take part, but I want to do it well. This year, mentally and physically speaking, I couldn&rsquo;t have done both the Dakar and Superbike, it&rsquo;s a big commitment. I view Superbike as being a similar commitment to MotoGP. I&rsquo;d have to be absolutely 100% in order to compete.&rdquo; So for 2023, either Superbike or the Dakar. "Yes, I&rsquo;d like to do both but now I know what the Dakar is really like (he laughs)&hellip; I struggled, six months of injury and even in my everyday life I couldn&rsquo;t train normally. First my ankle, then my knee, the burns, it was worrying. I struggle as I&rsquo;m not 20 anymore and so the recovery times are longer.&rdquo; What would you expect from a wildcard entry? "I&rsquo;d like to do it because Portim&atilde;o is a beautiful track and I won my last Superstock race there with Ducati back in 2011, before moving to MotoGP. It would also be great to ride with Pirelli tyres and get a good look at the SBK riders, but we&rsquo;ll see, I don&rsquo;t expect anything.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson Ducati effective in MotoGP, but a first rider is needed in order to win the title       

The Italian talks exclusively about his possible entry in the Portim&atilde;o round and also elaborates on his present and future projects

Petrucci wildcard: “It’s an idea to develop. SBK is very attractive”

        While taking part in the third MotoAmerica round, Danilo Petrucci&rsquo;s weekend in Virginia came to an incredible, terrible end. The Italian crashed along the start/finish line (located along a long right-hand turn) at a speed of close to 300 km/h as he attempted to avoid Mathew Scholtz. In doing so, he sustained serious scrapes and hematomas and was extremely shaken up, but the worst was still to come, in that he had to get himself to the medical centre because no one came to help. &ldquo;I'm not one of those people who likes to create trouble, but I want to be clear&rdquo;, comments Petrux on his social channels. &ldquo;On the last lap I tried to use Scholtz's slipstream, as he was ahead of me, but he understandably closed the line and so, forced to go around the outside, I tipped the bike more and lost traction, crashing at 280 km/h. In crashing, I hit some advertising boards and one of those opened my boot, breaking the skin and breaking my fibula, as well as leaving me with various scrapes and a huge hematoma on my arm&rdquo;. Petrucci: &ldquo;Luckily I remained conscious&rdquo;  &ldquo;I slid for more than 100 metres, almost reaching turn one but remaining very close to the track, with bikes still going around&rdquo;, continues Danilo, still incredulous about what happened. &ldquo;I was lucky to survive and to remain conscious the whole time, so I remember it all. I was lying face down trying to breathe as best I could and waiting for someone to arrive, but I had bikes continuing to pass by on one side and a grassy patch on the other with no marshals&rdquo;. &ldquo;I realised I was bleeding and that I needed to get up, so I waited for the last rider to pass and then I started to walk towards the garages until a guy on a quad picked me up and took me to the medical centre. There, I found out that no one had seen the accident because, although I was on the start/finish line, there were no safety cameras&rdquo;, concludes the Warhorse HSBK Ducati team rider, still visibly shaken up by an episode that will inevitably spark debate as to the safety of the American championship. Translated by Heather Watson A photo finish is not enough: both riders win in the BTC at Donington       

After the terrible race 2 accident in Virginia, Danilo provides further details about the episode in which he was involved: &ldquo;In race direction, that told me that they didn&rsquo;t spot me on TV&rdquo;

MotoAmerica, Petrucci incredulous: “No one noticed my accident”

        In less than a month's time, Danilo Petrucci will make his US debut aboard the Ducati Panigale V4R (in MotoAmerica configuration) of team Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC, but his preparation for round one has now become more complicated than expected. After having fully recovered from a broken ankle bone in December, Danilo is now facing a new problem. We are talking about a fracture to the collateral ligament of his left knee, sustained during an MX accident. Petrucci was training at the Montevarchi track roughly two weeks ago when he attempted to pass a slower rider (who made a risky move) and crashed as a result, sustaining the abovementioned fracture as well as a nasty burn to his left forearm. Technical tests  An injury that is not to be underestimated, and one that Danilo will try to better understand today. The Italian is at Misano for a two-day test organised by the Aruba team and will head out on track to try to assess his physical condition. All we can do for now is wait for updates and some initial impressions from Danilo, as well as all the other news from the Misano World Circuit. Translated by Heather Watson Chris Pfeiffer dies: the legendary stuntman has left us       

The Italian has fractured his knee ligament while training and will assess his condition at Misano today

Petrucci grits his teeth: MotoAmerica debut at risk due to injury

        Danilo Petrucci&rsquo;s new life has officially begun. After doing surprisingly well during the latest challenging edition of the Dakar, the Italian has decided to take on a new challenge, in the shape of Motoamerica. He also finds himself back in Ducati's orbit, riding for team Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC. A new life that officially began today at Portim&atilde;o, with an initial test aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 in its Motoamerica configuration. New experience, new tyres  A configuration that is not too different to that used by Alvaro Bautista and Michael Rinaldi in Superbike, expect for two particular aspects. The first relates to the gearbox, which must be the production version, while the second is the tyres. Bikes in the Motoamerica series use Dunlop tyres, very different to the Superbike Pirellis or MotoGP Michelins. So there&rsquo;s a lot for Petrucci to absorb and understand as quickly as possible if he wants to do well in a championship that has proved challenging for &lsquo;new-entries&rsquo; in the past. In 2021, it was Loris Baz who tried his luck in the States, the Frenchman ultimately rounding out the season in fourth place with nine podiums but no outright wins. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Bagnaia: &ldquo;We want to bring the riders' title back to Borgo Panigale&rdquo;       

Danilo has taken to the track for the first time with the Panigale V4 R with which he&rsquo;ll fight for the title in the States

Portimão, Petrucci’s Motoamerica adventure begins

        Danilo Petrucci has returned to his native Terni, exhausted after a very tough Dakar 2022, which he took on for the first time. But despite his tiredness, he&rsquo;s happy to have completed this great challenge after problems early on and injury as the race progressed. The italian even scored a stage win, with which he earns a place in history as the only rider to have won a MotoGP race and a Dakar stage. Danilo: &ldquo;The most intense experience of my life&rdquo;  &ldquo;What can I say? - begins Petrucci during an interview with Sky Sport 24 &ndash; it was one of the most intense experiences of my life. I know it would be hard, but I couldn&rsquo;t have imagined just how hard&rdquo;. After stepping away from the MotoGP paddock at the end of 2021 and with very little off-road experience, the Italian decided to take on the Dakar 2022 aboard a KTM just a few months later. His &ldquo;madness&rdquo; soon paid off though: &ldquo;I have so much to talk about, the experience was so amazing that it&rsquo;s hard to sum up in just a few words&rdquo;, he continues. &ldquo;I never had to get up at 3am every day for two weeks before, then get on the bike at 4am when it&rsquo;s still dark and return maybe 12 hours later. And all kinds of things happened. I broke by ankle, then there was Covid, then the bike stopped. But I was also able to win, which I didn&rsquo;t expect.&rdquo; Petrucci: &ldquo;They asked me for live videos, it was cool"  And winning was the greatest feeling for Danilo, the crowning moment in what has been a stormy career at times: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the greatest satisfaction of all, which makes me unique. I&rsquo;ve set my first record and am really pleased, I can retire happy now&rdquo;. Retirement&rsquo;s not on the cards right now though, as Petrux will compete in Motoamerica in 2022, but first he will rest up and make up for the many hours of sleep he&rsquo;s lost, perhaps enjoying a comfortable mattress and an equally comfy pillow. He signs off by telling us what shocked him the most about the Dakar: "What surprised me the most was that the people would ask me to do live videos on social media! I didn&rsquo;t expect it, but it was like the whole world was following the Dakar. So many people wrote to me, and I talked to some riders every day, it was so cool.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson Isle of Wight Road Race: the reason for its postponement       

The KTM rider has spoken about the emotions he felt and particularly his stage win that makes him the only rider to have won in both MotoGP and the Dakar

Petrucci on his Dakar: “I’m unique now, I can retire”

        Having enjoyed a rest on the sofa with a beer, as he promised he would after the Dakar, Danilo Petrucci is now focused on the next challenge, which will see him travelling Stateside and competing for Ducati, the only brand with which he has previously won in MotoGP. But rather than travelling directly from Italy to the US, the rider is stopping off at Portim&atilde;o, in Portugal, for a two-day test aboard the Ducati Panigale V4. Back with Ducati once more  At 31, &ldquo;Petrux&rdquo; is enjoying a very fruitful period in his career. In the space of just a few months, he&rsquo;s left MotoGP, taken on the enormous challenge of the Dakar where he made his mark &ndash; winning stage five &ndash; and now he prepares for another adventure, which will take him to the States. First, he will test at Portim&atilde;o alongside the WorldSBK riders, his relationship with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer apparently restored. In MotoAmerica he&rsquo;ll have the factory&rsquo;s full support and this could also mean that he&rsquo;d be considered as a candidate for any MotoGP rider substitutions. Will he be reappear in MotoGP?  He knows the class very well after all, and has ridden the Desmosedici GP for several years, understanding the bike&rsquo;s character. Michele Pirro is still in pole position as a substitute rider of course, considering he&rsquo;s the manufacturer&rsquo;s test rider, but in taking on the American challenge, the Italian perhaps leaves a door open to the reigning class. A championship in which he lived out his first dreams and one that has allowed him to become the rider he is today. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Marquez "looks to" the Sepang test: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have any discomfort with my vision&rdquo;       

The Italian is recuperating after the Dakar and makes a pitstop in Portugal as he looks ahead to his next commitments in America

MotoAmerica, Petrucci prepares with a test at Portimão

        While Danilo Petrucci takes on the Dakar, and very successfully so far, somebody has decided to sell one of his old bikes. Specifically, the Suter BMW CRT with which he competed several years ago. The Italian&rsquo;s feats in the desert during the 2022 Dakar have amazed us all, the KTM rider proving to be the first ever to win both a MotoGP race and a Dakar stage. And one private collector has decided to take advantage of this &ldquo;Petrucci passion&rdquo; that has broken out among fans and sell his old Ioda Racing Suter BMW CRT. Aboard this black and metallic grey bike, Petrux scored a best result of eleventh at the Catalunya GP. The sale price? The vendor, who is in The Netherlands, is asking for a sum of 60,000 euro, but explains a few details. The collector&rsquo;s ad  In the sales advertisement, we read that the bike has undergone modifications in order to be easier to ride. The engine is not that used by Petrucci, but instead a BMW Superbike Factory complete with Race Kit2 electronic kit. The bike is from 2013 and weighs 147 kg. Interested in buying it? Here&rsquo;s the ad. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, a possible substitution? Lecuona in place of Marc Marquez       

On the back of Petrux&rsquo;s recent success in the Dakar, a vendor from The Netherlands has decided to sell the Suter BMW CRT with which the Italian raced in the world championship in 2013

It’s "Petrucci Mania": what price is his Suter going for?

        As we write this, the man in question is focused on another matter entirely. Danilo Petrucci is still competing in the Dakar, although his participation is now hanging by a thread following a technical issue with his KTM that forced him to use up a lifeline and ask to be recovered during the second stage. With his orange steed, the Italian is taking on the desert sands, but he&rsquo;ll soon be racing on asphalt once again. MotoAmerica awaits, and with open arms, because the series is in need of strong riders like him. It is only logical to presume that Petrux will head to Wayne Rainey&rsquo;s paddock full of commitment, passion and speed and he&rsquo;ll no doubt be aiming for strong results, but... we bet on a return to the world stage, the SBK series to be precise. Perhaps with the current Aruba team, the factory team linked to Bologna. &ldquo;Tu Vuo f&agrave; l'Americano&rdquo;  Renato Carosono was essentially right &ndash; anyone who has ever dreamed of living like an American must nevertheless remember their roots. If you&rsquo;ve spent a lifetime wearing Nikes, drinking Coca Cola and listening to Bruce Springsteen, you&rsquo;ll know what we&rsquo;re talking about. Danilo is Italian, so very Italian. A concept that is joyfully summed up by his fantastic MotoGP win, the first of two, scored at Mugello in 2019. It was 2 June, or rather the Italian Festa della Repubblica. Our day, his day. He was riding a Ducati, pure Italianicity in motorcycle form. The kerbs were (and are) painted in three colours, just like the national flag. He couldn&rsquo;t have done more. Will he do the same in MotoAmerica? Petrux will have an excellent career opportunity, in the shape of the V4 R, technicians drafted directly from Bologna and whatever else he needs to do well. Great. But we have just one question &ndash; if he were to be crowned champion at his first attempt, would he stay there, far from home, or return to Europe? Fantasy racing: Petrucci and Bassani in SBK on factory Ducatis  Judging by your comments, it seems you&rsquo;re very keen to see Danilo in SBK. Not in Superbike, but in SBK. The difference, aside from the initials themselves, lies in the fact that Superbike is a production-derived class of any given series, the Italian CIV Superbike category for example. Wonderful, but not a world championship. The SBK, with its patented, registered and unmistakable logo, is a world championship. The bikes are still production-derived but they race according to a specific regulation. You&rsquo;ve said that Petrucci would be perfect and that it would be great to see him (back) there. And we agree. In the hope that Aruba Racing Ducati riders Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi can do well, let&rsquo;s imagine a door opening for Danilo. The Spaniard is taking a final career bet, the young Italian needs to prove himself. If someone were to go, who would replace him? Or replace them? Why not Danilo Petrucci? Perhaps together with Axel Bassani, already in the orbit in that he competes for the Motocorsa team. Sorry if this sounds like fantasy racing. We&rsquo;ll see further down the line. Translated by Heather Watson Mooney VR46 Racing Team, the full line-up       

Danilo will be back in Borgo Panigale red, competing in the US series. Could Wayne Rainey&rsquo;s American championship be a stepping stone to WorldSBK?

Petrucci with Ducati in MotoAmerica: a prelude to the world championship?

        The Dakar can be cruel, and Danilo Petrucci has quickly realised this as he participates in the rally for the first time. The Italian was putting together an excellent debut, placing thirteenth at the end of a first stage that left the likes of Joan Barreda, Kevin Benavides and Toby Price in difficulty. Petrucci: &ldquo;I was having fun, then&hellip;&rdquo;  The KTM rider made a good start to the second stage, which ran on Monday from Ha&rsquo;Il ad Al Qaisumah, and was lying fourth just four minutes from the front at the 80 km waypoint, but a technical problem stopped him and his 450 Rally Factory Replica at km 115. &ldquo;I was going really well, I was very fast in the first part and was having fun&rdquo;, a disappointed Petrucci told the Dakar TV channels. Petrux continued: &ldquo;I&rsquo;d reached the two riders in front of me, but then my bike suddenly turned off. I don&rsquo;t know if it was the fuel pump that broke or something else, but I tried to repair it, moving the fuel from front to rear, but unfortunately there was no way&rdquo;. Last hope  Petrucci and his team might be able to count on the &ldquo;jolly&rdquo; formula, which would allow the former Tech3 rider to restart tomorrow, but with a significant penalty that would prevent him from aiming for a strong result. As we write this, the 31-year old is awaiting news as to the damage so that he can understand whether it might be possible to rejoin the race. Translated by Heather Watson First Triumph, and now Ducati and MV Agusta look to MX and Enduro       

The Italian was forced to abandon the second stage of the rally due to a technical problem. The rules would allow him to restart on Tuesday, but with a significant penalty

Dakar: Petrucci’s hopes hang by a thread after he retires from the stage

        Herve Poncharal can be forgiven for feeling confident about the future thanks to new arrivals Remy Garnder and Raul Fernandez, although they will have to adapt to what is a new and complex class. A very different atmosphere to that experienced with Danilo Petrucci and Iker Lecuona, two riders who, as Poncharal admits, will not be remembered for their results on track. Lecuona, no step forward   "We should have seen a big step forward with respect to his rookie season but that wasn&rsquo;t the case, for several reasons&rdquo;, the French manager tells our AutoHebdo colleagues in reference to Lecuona&rsquo;s season. &ldquo;On more than one occasion, he looked promising in practice, but then always struggled to put it together in the races&rdquo;. When it was time to consider which riders to field in 2022, KTM bosses had no doubts: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m still convinced Iker&rsquo;s a great rider, with a lot of talent, but when you find yourself having to choose Gardner and Fernandez mid-season... Well, the management had to make a decision". Petrucci&rsquo;s difficulties   And Danilo Petrucci doesn&rsquo;t come off any better: "From the start, he&rsquo;d say to us &lsquo;I&rsquo;m old, heavy and tall, it&rsquo;s more difficult for me&rsquo;. And in effect, compared to the new generation of riders whose style is hard to mimic, his height and weight played against him&rdquo;, continues Poncharal, who goes on to admit his disappointment regarding the lack of results. "After our 2020 season, which ended with a win at Portimao, no one expected such a complicated start to 2021. Danilo had to adapt to the new bike, but never made his mark on the KTM", concludes Herve. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: a disappointing 2021 for team LCR, but Marquez and Nakagami are reconfirmed       

The Tech 3 team owner has analysed the Italian&rsquo;s difficulties during the 2021 season, a situation shared by former team-mate Iker Lecuona

MotoGP, Poncharal: “Petrucci? Penalised by his riding style”

        A Motoclub Spoleto special guest at the 2021 prize-giving for the National Trophy champions, Danilo Petrucci has revealed that he&rsquo;s suffering a few physical problems after a recent training session. The Italian has stated that he nevertheless feels ready and pressure-free ahead of the Dakar, and has also revealed something of his future plans, which could see him in MotoAmerica with Ducati. Petrucci: &ldquo;The Dakar will be a very tough challenge&rdquo;  The pain in his ankle shouldn&rsquo;t prevent Danilo from competing in the famous marathon race that will get underway in Saudi Arabia on 2 January: &ldquo;I went too fast over a hump while training and have hurt my ankle even though I didn&rsquo;t crash, but I should be able to race the Dakar&rdquo;. "I don&rsquo;t exactly know what to expect as I&rsquo;ve never done it before, but I know it will be very tough in terms of the hours and the time spent in the saddle, and the navigation which is complicated even for the experts. 8000 kilometres in such a short space of time, I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ve even done that in a car&rdquo;, continues the Italian with a smile. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll compete in other rallies and travel to America&rdquo;  On completing his Saudi adventure, &ldquo;Petrux&rdquo; will take on new challenges in 2022, both off-road and track-based, as he dives into a new chapter of his career and life: &ldquo;After the Dakar, I&rsquo;ll compete in some other rallies as I just love off-road, but in terms of the track, it&rsquo;s almost certain that I&rsquo;ll be back with Ducati, racing in the MotoAmerica Superbike class. I think it can be an interesting championship, different to what I&rsquo;m used to, and I&rsquo;ll seize the opportunity to spend the year there with a view to returning to the world championship as soon as possible&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoE: the electric Ducati is officially here!       

Despite an injury sustained while training, Danilo will try to take part in the Saudi marathon: "I know it will be a very tough challenge. Once that's done, I&rsquo;ll be back with Ducati, competing in MotoAmerica"

Petrucci: “I have an ankle problem, but I want to race the Dakar”

        It&rsquo;s time for a new challenge for Danilo Petrucci, the Italian looking for a little light at Silverstone after what has been a rather complicated season so far. He doesn&rsquo;t hide his love for the English track, despite it often being unrequited, and he&rsquo;s ready to get to work. &ldquo;I really like Silverstone - confirms Danilo - although I&rsquo;m not often fast, it&rsquo;s the same relationship that I have with Phillip Island for example. The first time I raced here I won, but I was in Superstock so another world entirely, while in 2015 I scored a great podium. The last time we raced here I was able to recover after a poor qualifying. It&rsquo;s an historic track, tough and long, with many different types of turn, so you need the right set-up in every way&rdquo;. But there&rsquo;s still room in Danilo&rsquo;s mind for the future too of course, which now seems to be fairly clearly mapped out. It looks as if Danilo will move away from the asphalt and into the off-road world. &ldquo;I haven&rsquo;t received any interesting offers from Superbike, so it&rsquo;s best to continue with KTM, with whom I&rsquo;ve started to plan a Dakar project. It&rsquo;s what I want to do honestly. Now the next step is to sit down and work out the details, but my mind is made up&rdquo;. Petrucci: &ldquo;You ride more in off-road with less photos&rdquo;  Danilo already seems to have entered into a new mood and has clear ideas as to both MotoGP and off-road. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve spoken to some off-road riders, who operate in a world that is very different to my current planet. Sometimes you sleep in a tent, you wake up at four to start a special stage at five. It&rsquo;s something I enjoy and want to do. In MotoGP I&rsquo;ve realised that you spend more time looking at the data than actually riding, while elsewhere you ride more and talk less&rdquo;. The Italian seems to have officially made peace with KTM, having exchanged some less than kind words in the past. &ldquo;I think that KTM was under pressure regarding Raul (Fernandez), who they didn&rsquo;t want to lose, which meant that they perhaps moved in a less than correct way. But we&rsquo;ve worked it out and I&rsquo;m pleased that they still want me. Personally, I&rsquo;ve given it my all this year, both on and off track, but I&rsquo;m the first to say that the current results are not good for me or for KTM&rdquo;. In conclusion, Petrucci looks further into the future, excluding (in part) a return to the asphalt. &ldquo;I think I have two or three years in which to learn how to be competitive in off-road, where perhaps my body type can be an advantage. I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;ll have offers for track racing in future, but I definitely won&rsquo;t forget how to ride on the asphalt of course, so for now I&rsquo;ll be keeping up with my riding both on and off the track&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Ducati SBK: Redding out to make room for the tried and tested       

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m pleased that KTM wants to carry on together, now we need to put the project into practice. With off-road, you ride more but there are less photos, I&rsquo;ll have two or three years to learn&rdquo;

MotoGP, Petrucci: “No valid SBK offer, I’ll do the Dakar”

        Danilo Petrucci&rsquo;s future is an unknown right now, and this is hanging over him, the worry clear to see on his face. The KTM Tech3 rider knows he won&rsquo;t be with the orange team next season, with Raul Fernandez already confirmed as his replacement. And so his mood is not exactly relaxed ahead of the upcoming race weekend. Here&rsquo;s what he had to say in the press conference. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what to do&rdquo;  &ldquo;The hardest thing for me to digest is that I still feel very competitive&rdquo;, explains Danilo in reference to his future. &ldquo;Like at Le Mans last year and at Le Mans again this year. Unfortunately, the content is competitive but the container not so much. This is the hardest thing that doesn&rsquo;t allow me to do more. I&rsquo;ll try to enjoy these races and create the opportunity, but at the same time I need to understand what I want from the future&rdquo;. Stefan Pierer had also proposed that Danilo compete in the Dakar with the KTM team, but the Superbike option is also in play: &ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s still a glimmer of hope to continue in MotoGP &ndash; adds the rider &ndash; but it&rsquo;s not up to me. I&rsquo;d have to start over again and I don&rsquo;t know if anyone will let me do that. I think I&rsquo;m still competitive, but it&rsquo;s also true that the oldest riders are struggling more than before. I haven&rsquo;t yet decided because I need to understand what I want to do in life. There are pros and cons, it&rsquo;s a complex time for me. I&rsquo;ve raced in MotoGP for ten years with the aim of winning the championship and now I need to accept that this won&rsquo;t be possible. I know I love riding bikes, but I don&rsquo;t know in which championship I&rsquo;ll be able to do that, I hope to find a solution soon&rdquo;. MotoGP, Dakar or Superbike?  And as for Superbike, if Petrucci were to decide to race in the production-derived series, would his size be a problem again there? &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the doubt I have &ndash; I feel competitive and have a lot of experience, but I&rsquo;m worried this might be an issue in Superbike too. In the last race, I saw Redding very quick along the straight where I have the biggest problem, but it&rsquo;s also true that in other races he&rsquo;s struggled. Rea and Razgatlioglu are very strong and I&rsquo;m worried I&rsquo;d be getting into the same problems, but on the other hand I&rsquo;m sure I could pass them. The dream would be to become competitive in a few years and be able to have fun on an off-road bike while remaining a KTM guy for life, so these are my doubts. With KTM, it would be a sort of contract for life, and not for a year. The Dakar would be a very different experience that requires a certain experience, otherwise it could be very dangerous. I ride off-road more than I do with a road bike. Next year if I decide to do the Dakar, it will be to gain experience so I can then do better as of 2023&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, latest: Yamaha suspends Maverick Vi&ntilde;ales       

Many possible paths lie ahead for Danilo - Superbike? Dakar with KTM? Without excluding MotoGP: &ldquo;I know that I love to ride, but I don&rsquo;t know where I&rsquo;ll be doing that&rdquo;

MotoGP Austria, Petrucci unsure: “I need to decide what I want”

        The Austrian round was a negative one for Danilo Petrucci. The Italian finished just eighteenth but, as the KTM Tech3 rider specifies, the biggest problem was top speed, something he doesn&rsquo;t have. And then there was the announcement that he will no longer be a part of the orange team as of 2022, not a pleasant development. &ldquo;At least I didn&rsquo;t crash&rdquo;  &ldquo;To try and score a point, I was battling with Iker Lecuona &ndash; comments Petrucci post-race &ndash; and I braked a little late. To pass him, we touched and I ran straight into the sand. With the track limits and everything, I was able to move up to fifteenth but unfortunately with the three straights, the gap to my rivals was significant. I did all I could and made few mistakes, but in the final two laps I battled with Lecuona and ran long. There&rsquo;s not much difference between sixteenth and eighteenth anyway, at least I didn&rsquo;t crash.&rdquo; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m slow&rdquo;  In any case, KTM struggled with its other riders too, despite competing at its home track. Danilo attempts to explains this: &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s a track where you do a lot of braking, and the less weight you&rsquo;re carrying, the better. So in the final stages Brad Binder was very fast. There were points of the race where we were all in line and I was even able to do some low 25s but I was really pushing to the max with the front. Last year, I didn&rsquo;t have this bike and the front was quite different. I think, from what I&rsquo;ve understood during meetings, that this is the problem, also for the other three riders who find themselves in difficulty in not having this front tyre. In my case, the problem is that I&rsquo;m very slow, the work the engineers and I do finishes as soon as I tuck in. Unfortunately we don&rsquo;t have a quick fix but we fought hard&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP Styria, Aleix Espargar&oacute; furious: &ldquo;No-one is happy with the stewards&rdquo;       

Danilo talks about the Austrian race, in which he finished just eighteenth. All in all though, the KTM Tech3 rider remains optimistic: &ldquo;At least I didn&rsquo;t crash&rdquo;

MotoGP Styria, Petrucci: “My problem? I’m slow”

        The marriage between Danilo Petrucci and KTM in MotoGP was something both parties clearly wanted but it doesn&rsquo;t look as if it it set to last more than a year. Despite his fifth-place finish at Le Mans, in France, results have been slow to come and with Ra&uacute;l Fern&aacute;ndez&rsquo;s exploits in Moto2, it&rsquo;s as good as game over. The likely new Team Tech 3 line-up  According to German website Speedweek, the Austrian brand has decided to field the Spaniard in MotoGP after a stunning debut season in Moto2, where Ra&uacute;l is currently in the mix for the title. So a place on team Tech 3, headed up by the very experienced Herv&eacute; Poncharal, where he would flank his current team-mate Remy Gardner, in place of Petrucci and Spaniard Iker Lecuona. Petrux&rsquo;s options  And if this were to happen, what about Danilo Petrucci? It&rsquo;s hard to imagine him in MotoGP in 2022, but KTM may want to keep him on as test rider (with a maximum of three wildcards per year) and as a substitute rider for the two KTM teams. Dani Pedrosa only wants to race in exceptional cases, and their second test rider Mika Kallio is almost 39. But would Petrucci be happy with this role or find it too restrictive? The Italian may also look to Superbike, where he has contacts with Ducati, or even move into the rallying world. Perhaps an appearance in one of the most important rally events, the Dakar, an event he himself has said he&rsquo;d like to contest. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP 2022, will Andrea Dovizioso be back?       

The rider market is buzzing and it appears there&rsquo;s no room for the Italian, whose manager is also looking to Superbike&hellip;

MotoGP, KTM on Fernandez. Petrucci out?

A weekend to forget for Danilo Petrucci at the Sachsenring. After a misunderstanding with Enea Bastianini during qualifying, the KTM Tech3 rider saw his race come to a premature end following a crash that also involved Alex Marquez.  &quot;I was unlucky to fall, but I&rsquo;m lucky to still have my arm&rdquo;, explains the number 9 rider in an Instagram story.  Tense atmosphere between Petrux and Lecuona     Petrucci is not only angry about the crash, but also the behaviour of team-mate Iker Lecuona during the race, the Italian deeming it too aggressive at times. &quot;Lecuona runs all his races like this. I&rsquo;m not saying that he could learn from me, because I&rsquo;m nobody, but there are another 21 riders around him with three times the experience. Trying to attack and make stupid passes in the first five laps on only to finish 17th&hellip;. With a calmer approach, we could have finished top ten or at least score points, and be happier&rdquo;, commented Danilo after the German MotoGP round.  Not exactly an easy time for Petrucci, who is still seeking a (tricky) 2022 contract renewal. Assen is just around the corner and will provide a first opportunity for the Italian to bounce back.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, KTM bounces back with Oliveira: too late for the title fight? 

The Italian has commented on social media about the incident he and Alex Marquez were caught up in at the German GP

MotoGP, Danilo Petrucci: &ldquo;Lucky to still have my arm....&rdquo;

Here are the images of the crash caused by Alex Marquez, which angered the KTM rider

German GP: Alex Marquez and Danilo Petrucci crash

In his last two visits to the Sachsenring, in 2018 and 2019, Danilo Petrucci just missed out on the podium with a strong fourth-place finish. This weekend he&rsquo;ll be back at the German track, with a different bike, or rather the KTM RC16, and he&rsquo;s confident he can perform well during this eighth championship round.  An important opportunity   Danilo himself admits: &ldquo;I am very positive about Germany, because the Sachsenring is a track that I always liked and which suits me well, mainly because there are not many slow corners&rdquo;. It might also suit his new steed and he adds: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a small track, so we have no long straight, which makes it a bit easier for us&rdquo;.  After recent test sessions at Barcelona, during which he also tested the new frame, &ldquo;Petrux&rdquo; aims to improve on the fifth-place finish he scored in France, his best result so far this season: &ldquo;I think, we can be really fast there and it&rsquo;s a good opportunity to show our progress this weekend&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Chicho Lorenzo: &ldquo;Not a nice gesture to protest against Quartararo&rdquo; 

The Italian is optimistic ahead of the upcoming German GP, at a track he likes and that should also be good for the KTM

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