Danilo Petrucci (nº9) may get the factory seat that now belongs to Jorge Lorenzo (nº99)
Now that Andrea Dovizioso agreed to stay with the factory Ducati team in MotoGP for two more years, Ducati Corse management has shifted their focus on finding a teammate for Dovizioso. And after the race in Le Mans this weekend, it seems they might have found someone perfect!
With the second place finish in France, Danilo Petrucci has made an impression on Ducati Corse top management Paolo Ciabatti and Gigi Dall’Igna.
Paolo Ciabatti, sporting director for Ducati Corse, has said to Italian news channel Sky Sport Italia that “Danilo [Petrucci] has made an incredible race. To Danilo, this result arrives in a crucial moment to decide his future, and he showed again that with perfect conditions, without rain or damp track, he is a fast rider. We will talk about his future after Mugello, but I think his performance in Le Mans helped him. We have an option over Petrucci and Miller which ends in the end of June. We will see, because Jorge Lorenzo is still in play, but in this moment Petrucci has shown he deserves an official bike”.
Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati MotoGP team manager, also spoke about Danilo Petrucci. When asked if the Italian rider would join the factory team, Dall’Igna answered without hesitations: “He did a fabulous race, and if he continues like that he is certain to be on the team”.
With these comments by Ducati Corse top managers, and after finishing sixth, Jorge Lorenzo seems to be farther and farther away from retaining his seat on the factory Ducati team. Lorenzo still has the race in Mugello to try and show what he can do with the Desmosedici GP18, but that will be the last chance.
After Mugello, Ducati Corse will definitely start negotiations with other riders like Danilo Petrucci or Jack Miller.