Petrucci clarifies Dovi ‘help’ comment, will fight for wins

Danilo Petrucci has clarified comments suggesting he’d be willing to throw his full weight of support behind his Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso in this year’s title race, insisting he is still targeting victories for the team.

Petrucci overtook both Dovizioso and reigning champion Marc Marquez in a thrilling single move on the final lap at Mugello, going on to seal an emotional debut win by 0.043s over the Honda rider, with Dovi in third.

Fresh from that maiden MotoGP victory, Petrucci – who apologised repeatedly for the closeness of his last lap overtake on Dovizioso, the Ducati No.1 – was asked to comment on quotes in the wake of that win that appeared to assert he’d do what he can to help his team-mate win the title.

However, ahead of the Catalunya MotoGP Petrucci claims this was misunderstood, suggesting it was more to prove wider supporting role behind the scenes and to further Ducati’s fortunes by challenging for the podium regularly too.

“The media took the second part of my quotes and I’d already said Andrea gave me a lot of help this winter, especially on the mental side and I wanted to put in a level [repay] of helping one another to compete always in training, at home…

“For sure, we don’t have team orders, we speak a lot about this and if I have the chance to win I will try. I can maybe give to Andrea a better version of myself, because I am more relaxed and the meaning was this. Just be there fighting for the podium with two Ducatis.”

Joking that the win already feels ‘a month and a half ago’, the Italian is keen to get back on track to see if anything has changed for him or his rivals now he is a winner.

“Mugello was just two weekends ago but for me it was like a month and a half! I knew I could win a race and I am confident to be on the podium or to fight for the podium every race, that’s my target.

“Finishing top five in the season is my target but in the last 3 races we have fought for the podium so this is the target and I know I can do it.

“I am very curious to see if anything affects me or affects my challenge from the other riders.”