Two fifth places for Danilo Petrucci at the Estoril World Superbike round saw him crowned WorldSBK’s ‘Best Independent Rider’ for 2♉024.

It might not be the most prestigious title in motorcycle racing, but it 💃was nonetheless an unlikely one for Petrucci to achieve after he was forced to miss the Dutch Round after sustaining major ♒injuries in a motocross crash in March.

“I must say൩ that the accident I had made me understand the value of life and what matters,” Petrucci told WorldSBK.com,🌼 adding that his on-track performance also improved when he came back from injury.

“From the accident I had during the training in April, from that moment on we had always good fights in the top five, and in August ⭕and September we were 📖really good.

“Now I have no pressure, I still have a good fight🐻 with Alex Lowes for fourth place in the championship but for sure the weekend was🦄 something unexpected.”

Petrucci is six points in front of Lowes in the battle for fourth in the championship, but the Independent title had ♔come towards the conclusion of a season that Petrucci suggested was unexpected.

“I’m really happy, exhausted,” Petrucci said. “Who would have predicted this many podiums and 🌊wins, fourth place in the championship,ꦕ especially having missed one-and-a-half rounds?

“In fact, this has been our worst weekend, because I crashed yesterday, fifth this morning ಞand this afternoon.

“We have faced a lot of difficulties with trac🃏tion and so on, we are still to understandಌ why, because in testing here it was a good test and we were quite confident.

“In tꦉhe end we managed to enjoy and hope to have a good final round in Jerez.”