MotoGP, KTM on Fernandez. Petrucci out?

The marriage between Danilo Petrucci and KTM in MotoGP was something both parties clearly wanted but it doesn’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 Raúl Fernández’s exploits in Moto2, it’s as good as game over.

The likely new Team Tech 3 line-up

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According to German website Speedweek, the Austrian brand has decided to field the Spaniard in MotoGP after a stunning debut season in Moto2, where Raúl is currently in the mix for the title. So a place on team Tech 3, headed up by the very experienced Hervé Poncharal, where he would flank his current team-mate Remy Gardner, in place of Petrucci and Spaniard Iker Lecuona.

Petrux’s options

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And if this were to happen, what about Danilo Petrucci? It’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’d like to contest.

Translated by Heather Watson

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