Danilo Petrucci will return to MotoGP for a weekend: he will replace the injured Joan Mir on the Suzuki GSX-RR.
Danilo Petrucci had left the world championship of MotoGP last November, in Valencia, in the same farewell Grand Prix as Valentino Rossi. A ten-year adventure that gave him two victories on the Ducati, for a career that ended somewhat bitterly with KTM. Not even the time to settle down on the RC16 that the leaders of Mattighofen had put him out of their plans to focus on two rookies (in turn downloaded at the end of the year).
To find new professional stimuli, he participated in the Dakar and even managed to win a stage, becoming the first rider in the world to win at least one MotoGP race and one in the famous edition of the Rally. After the adventure in the desert he signed with Ducati to participate in the MotoAmerica riding a Panigale V4R of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC, however, failing to get the better of the winner Jake Gagne.
Petrucci in MotoGP a year later
Suzuki had already sought out Danilo Petrucci to replace the injured man at the Misano GP Joan Mircrashed badly on the first lap of the Austrian GP, where he suffered serious ankle consequences. But the green light did not come from Borgo Panigale, because the Umbrian rider was in the running for the AMA Superbike and there was no risk of an injury. Last weekend the American championship ended and now Suzuki has tried again… successfully.
Danilo Petrucci he will return to MotoGP in the Thailand GP, riding Joan Mir’s Suzuki GSX-RR and will share the garage with Alex Rins. Last Sunday in Motegi it was the Japanese Takuya Tsuda to take the place of the Majorcan champion. The test rider saw his bike catch fire and retired, but in the next round Livio Suppo’s dream comes true and he will see the expert Petrux on the Hamamatsu prototype, in his last season in the World Championship before the announced farewell. “I want to thank the team for giving me this fantastic opportunity. I would also like to thank Ducati and my current team for allowing me to do this“Commented Danilo.
In his curriculum he can boast the two victories at Mugello 2019 and Le Mans 2020, both with the Ducati Desmosedici GP, at the time when he shared the official garage with Andrea Dovizioso. “I am very excited to get on the GSX-RR and try it out. It looks very fast and we know it’s a winning bike“, Continued the 31-year-old from Terni. “I am looking forward to working with the Suzuki team as I have known them for a long time. We have a wonderful relationship. I know it’s not going to be easy, so I don’t have high expectations, I just want to have fun“.
