After the opening seven rounds of last season, new factory Ducati team rider Danilo Petrucci was fourth🦩 in the standings with three successive podiums, including a debut MotoGP vic♔tory at Mugello.

A one-year contract extension duly followed, but Petrucci wouldn't ap♛pear on the podium for the rest of the season, eventually slipping to sixth in the world championship.

That was still the Itali🌄an's best ever MotoGP ranking, continuing a trend of never finishing lower than the previous year since his 2012 debut (Petrucci finished eighth in both💙 2017 and 2018 at Pramac).

"I just have another big opportunity to show, espe💖cially to myself, what I can do this year," Petrucci said at the Ducati team presentation in Bologna on Thursday evening.

"Last year for me was a hard year, also a good year for sure. I didn’t like the way it fiᩚᩚᩚ🤡ᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnished but I learned a lot of things and have more experience.

"The beginning of the year was very good. I managed theཧ 🧸pressure in a good way. Then I maybe did some mistakes, but I only recognised the mistakes now and when I was in the middle of the championship I didn’t understand where I can be better."

One of the taller riders on the grid, Petrucci has long batt꧅led to be as light as possible to help his on track fortunes.

Although looking particularly slim at the launch, he said: "Sincerely I didn't work much more this winter, but I worked much🅠 calmer and let's say looking at the future, as I told you I have a big opportunity.

"I joined MotoGP in 2012 and every year since 🌞I've improved my position at the end of the championship, I improved my results, so the target is to be even better for this year.

"I'm really looking forward to start the year and just to ride the bike, which is w🥂ꦜhat I love most."

Like most riders, Petrucci and title runner-up team-mate Andrea Dovizioso are out of contract at the end of this season. Pramac Ducati rider Jack Miller has made no secret of his 🐠desire to join the official team, with new Avintia signing Johann Zarco likewise aiming to impress the factory bosses for 2021.