Danilo Petrucci: WorldSBK journey ‘incomplete’, will be on a ‘mission’ in 2024
Danilo Petrucci says his WorldSBK journey is currently ‘incomplete’ and that he still dreams of winning his first race in the championship.
The Barni Ducati rider never got close to winning during his debut season, however, the former MotoGP race winner is adamant he can do so in 2024.
Throughout the year Petrucci made it clear that he wants to add his name to the WorldSBK win column, after already doing so in MotoGP and at the Dakar.
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And in some races Petrucci showcased the type of potential that would lead many to believe that’s a realistic aim for 2024.
That won’t be easy as Alvaro Bautista is the clear favourite going into next year, while the likes of Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu should be very competitive.
Additions to the series like Andrea Iannone will make it even tougher, but Petrucci is still dreaming of a first Superbike victory.
Speaking about his 2023 campaign, Petrucci told WorldSBK.com: “Not bad but I’m not fully satisfied. At the beginning I struggled a bit but at the end, the second half of the season, it was not bad and always fighting around the top five and sometimes on the podium.
“I want to start again in that way and maybe fighting for the top five in the championship would be really nice.”
Winning the world title on a satellite bike appears to be a very long shot, especially in WorldSBK, however, race wins are certainly possible.
“Incomplete,” said Petrucci when discussing his journey in the series. “At the moment it is incomplete because I was not sure if I still had the pace to go fast in the world championship.
“But in the second half it was okay and I know I made the best decision, also because I feel really good in the paddock.
“I’m really happy to race in Superbikes because it is really exciting. [Winning] is my mission. I said before coming [to WorldSBK] that I wanted to be one of the riders that won a race in MotoGP and WorldSBK.
“I have also been able to win at the Dakar. I will try to follow this mission until it’s impossible. I think next year we can be really competitive.”
