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One of the biggest names on the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is Danilo Petrucci with the Italian linking up with the Barni Spark Racing Team once again for his maiden WorldSBK campaign. ‘Petrux’ worked with the team during his STK1000 days when he finished runner-up in the Championship and now the combination is reunited for an attack on WorldSBK as Petrucci looks to write his name into the history books.

THE BACKSTORY: success everywhere for Petrucci…

Petrucci first made an appearance in the WorldSBK paddock in 2007 in STK600 with three races, before returning for a full campaign a season later and finishing seventh in the standings. Another STK600 followed in 2009 as he took his first win, before enjoying two successful seasons in STK1000 and claiming the runner-up spot in 2011 with Barni Ducati. His performances earned him a seat in MotoGP™ and he remained there between 2012 and 2021 on a full-time basis, winning two races, before embarking on a completely different adventure: the Dakar Rally. Petrucci won a stage of the famous Dakar Rally and then switched back to circuits for a MotoAmerica title tilt, finishing second in 2022 with Ducati. Should Petrucci achieve this, he would become only the 18th rider to win at least one race in both MotoGP™ with the most recent being Nicky Hayden when he won a wet Sepang race in 2016 for Honda.

RE-UNITED 12 YEARS LATER: Barni and Petrucci back together

Barni Ducati and Petrucci first teamed up in 2011 for Petrucci’s most successful STK1000 campaign out of the two. He claimed four wins in 10 races and finished second behind Davide Giugliano in the standings by just two points. When asked about linking up with Barni again, Petrucci said: “I’m really happy to have re-joined this team. We start this new adventure with WorldSBK and really, really focused. I remember 2011 so well. It was a wonderful year. It was my first year with Ducati and especially with Barni. Marco Barnabo, the team owner, is really, really committed and I trust the team a lot. I’m really happy and focused on my season.

HISTORY ON THE CARDS: what Petrucci could achieve in 2023…

After taking four race wins in STK1000, Petrucci moved on to MotoGP™ and claimed two victories, including on home soil at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, before briefly switching his attention to the Dakar Rally with KTM. He won the fifth stage of the 2022 Dakar Rally, to add to his already-impressive victory list, before switching his attention to MotoAmerica. Five wins followed for Petrucci in the USA as he mounted a title charge. If Petrucci was able to take victory in WorldSBK, he would become the first rider to win in MotoGP™, WorldSBK, STK1000 and the Dakar Rally. Should Petrucci achieve this, he would become only the 18^th rider to win at least one race in both MotoGP™ with the most recent being Nicky Hayden when he won a wet Sepang race in 2016 for Honda.

On this potential achievement, Petrucci said: “It’s one of the reasons why I chose to race in WorldSBK. I say, ‘I cannot end my career without trying this Championship’ and I came from this paddock. When this opportunity came, I had to try. There are a few riders who were able to win a race in MotoGP™ and WorldSBK. I want to become one of them and then I also won in MotoAmerica and the Dakar. It could be great!”

RESULTS IN TESTING: plenty of promise shown

Petrucci has enjoyed two two-day tests with the Barni Ducati team so far, at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto and the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. At Jerez, Petrucci was using the 2022 Panigale V4 R and was sixth at the end of the first day and eighth on day two as he showed his potential from the start. Portimao was where he was able to try the 2023 Ducati machine with Petrucci taking 15^th and 20^th position on days one and two respectively. Petrucci will get two more days of testing, at Phillip Island with the rest of the field, on Monday 20^th and Tuesday 21^st before the season starts later that week.

THE GOALS: Petrucci aiming high in his rookie campaign

With so much experience behind him across different Championships, including almost a decade in MotoGP™ and recent Superbike experience in MotoAmerica, albeit with different tyres and specifications, Petrucci outlined his goals for 2023. He said: “It’s difficult for me to say because I have no experience and I don’t know what my level is in this Championship. I just have some racing with a few guys. I don’t know what to expect. I want to be as close to the front as possible, but I don’t know how much time I need. At the moment I’m just trying to be as relaxed as possible and try to be focused on myself; to have a good feeling on the bike. I hope I can fight for wins and podiums! It’s one of my targets. I want to stay in front. I don’t know when this will be possible but, for sure, it will be a great result if I’m able to win a race or stand on the podium. I think this could be a good target.”

THE GOLDEN ERA CONTINUES: follow Petrucci’s rookie WorldSBK campaign in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!