Danilo Petrucci: ‘Chaotic’ race, ‘sorry’ for incidents, penalty ‘not right decision’

A 'chaotic' Misano WorldSBK Superpole race saw Danilo Petrucci penalised for an incident with Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner, then left fearing he had broken a femur after crashing out with Iker Lecuona.
Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter crash, Superpole Race, Emilia-Romagna WorldSBK, 4 June
Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter crash, Superpole Race, Emilia-Romagna WorldSBK, 4 June

Having 🎀lost ground from fourth on the grid, Petrucci dived inside Aegerter as the field threaded its way from Turn 1 to 2 at the start of the Superpole contestไ.

But the pair made contact, with the Swiss star falling and wiping🥂 out GYT Yamaha teꦺam-mate Gardner.

Petrucci was handed a Long Lap Pe💜nalty for the incident.

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“For me [the penalty] was not really the rig⛎ht decision,” the Barni Ducati rider told WorldSBK.com.

“First of all, I’m sorry about the crash of Dominique and Remy, but I was on the inside and I think a little bit in front becau🐠se I just f🌄elt Dominique touch the rear of my bike.

“Normally, especially in the first lap, they [St﷽ewards] don’t give any penalty. But today they didn’t wait even two laps to understand the situation, they gave immediately the Long Lap.

“At least I would have preferred to speak wit📖h the Stewards and maybe receive a penalty 🎶after the race. Also because with the Long Lap my race was ruined.”

Aegerter said: “We actꦓually had a great getaway♎, but I got hit after just two corners which led me to crash. Unfortunately, Remy was involved too, which is a real shame for the team.”

While Aegerter re-joined at the back, Gardne🧔r tumbled heavily down the track and couldn’t continue.

“We had a good start and I felt good with the SCQ tyre and reckoned we could have done a good race to gain a better position on the grid. Unfortunate👍ly, we didn’t get past turn two and personally I didn’t feel 100% physically after the crash,” said the Australian.

Danilo Petrucci , Race 1, Emilia-Romagna WorldSBK, 3 June
Danilo Petrucci , Race 1, Emilia-Romagna WorldSBK, 3 June

Petrucci: 'I thought I’d broken my femur'

But the Superpole 𒅌drama wasn’t ov🍌er for Petrucci, who dropped from sixth to tenth after serving his penalty, then became involved in a race-stopping clash with former MotoGP team-mate Iker Lecuona on lap 7.

“I was behind the two Honda guys, Xavi [Vierge] passed Iker in Turn 8, Iker went a bit wide and I was there and we touched,” said Petrucci, who clipped the back of Lecuona. “I’m so sorry for Iker but I had no space to go. Unfortunately, we 🔯both crashed.”

The race was red-flagged with Lecuona briefly trapped under his bike, and later declared unfit, while Petrucci was also taken to the Medical๊ centre before returning for the ✅final race.

“When I crashed, I thought I’d broken my femur,” Petrucci explained. ♏“Fortunately I just have a really big hematoma on my right leg.”

“It was really tough to make race [two]. I was in the medical centre just minutes before the start and was not sure. But in the end, I needed to🧜 try and I would like to thank ♓all the fans and my team."

Lecuona said: “We had a big cra༒sh in the Superpole race and it was not even my fault as I was hit from behind by another rider.

“I had to go to the medical centre and was declared unfit for race two. I’m not feeling great but not too bad eithꦉer. The good thing is💎 that I’ve nothing broken, and this is the most important thing.

“On the other hand, I h🌸ave this contusion to a muscle in my leg and a few hematomas here and there, so it’s best I don’t walk for two or t𝐆hree days and rest completely. But this is racing in the end.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu , Race 1, Emilia-Romagna WorldSBK, 3 June
Toprak Razgatlioglu , Race 1, Emilia-Romagna WorldSBK, 3 June

Petrucci, who had also crashed while chasing Toprak Razgatlioglu for third place at the same (Turn 8) corner in the Saturday race, went on to claim seventh🌄 in the final outing of the week🐠end.

“During race one, I sincerel☂y thought to go on the podium, even if it’s almost impossible to pass Toprak here. But for sure I would have preferred to finish fourth [than crash],” Petrucci said.

“But we are still not good at braking. And even braking less than before I crashed [in race one]. It’s the first time I’ve crashed going🎶 slower into a corner.

“[S♛unday] was a chaotic Superpole race and then I started tenth in race two.

"If you are stuck behind riders two-three tenths slower it’s hard to pass. I tried to score as ma♔ny points as possible and we’ve maybe made a step forward.

“I think we had the potential for one poꦦdium [this weekend] but we only left with a seventh... It was a rea🦄lly unlucky weekend."

Petrucci believes next month’s Donington Park round will show if recent upgrades to theꩵ Panigale, most notably a new swingarm, were behind his improved speedಌ at Misano.

“I think I will have a good answer at Donington Park,” he said. “I don’t know if [our speed a🤡t Misano] was because the track was very grippy, or just having more kilometres on this bike.

“The big test for us will be Donington Park where we can see if I did a definite ওstep forward and can fight for the ಌtop five again, like this weekend.”

Petrucci is𒁃 currently tenth in the world ☂championship with a best race finish of fifth in his rookie WorldSBK campaign.

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