Danilo Petrucci will remain with the Barni Spark Racing Team for a third season after inking a new contract with the Ducati-powered team. ‘Petrux’ made his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut with the team in 2023 and was a podium contender in his rookie season, before building on that in 2024. Petrucci stated on Thursday at Portimao he wanted to remain with the team and his wish has been granted with his new contract. The team have also stated that they are working on fielding a second Ducati bike next year, although stopped short of confirming it.

THE FIRST BARNI STINT: STK1000 runner-up in 2011

Petrucci’s first experience of the WorldSBK paddock was in 2007 in STK600 and he completed two full seasons in the Championship in 2008 and 2009, finishing seventh and fourth in the standings, winning three races in the latter season. That earned him a seat in STK1000 for 2010 with Team Pedercini on the Kawasaki ZX-10R, where he finished ninth in the Championship. He moved to Barni Ducati in 2011 and it was a partnership that hit the ground running: seven podiums and four wins in 10 races helped the Italian to second in the standings, finishing two points behind Davide Giugliano.

PETRUCCI’S MOVE: a shot at MotoGP™

The Terni-born star’s performances on production-based machinery impressed so much he moved to MotoGP™ in 2012, joining the Ioda team with their CRT bike between 2012 and 2014. A switch to Pramac Racing for 2015 for four seasons put ‘Petrux’ in the shop window for a ride at the factory Ducati squad and he was rewarded with a seat there in 2019, where he took the first of his two wins at Mugello. He took another win a year later, at Le Mans, before a move to KTM for 2021 where he took a best of fifth. Although his full-time MotoGP™ career ended after this season, he made two one-off appearances – with Suzuki in Thailand in 2022 and Ducati in 2023 at Le Mans – since.

THE AMERICAN DREAM AND OFF-ROAD CHALLENGES: Petrucci goes stateside and rallying

For 2022, Petrucci took on a new adventure in the Dakar Rally with KTM and became a stage winner before returning to asphalt in MotoAmerica on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. He claimed five wins when racing in the USA and 16 podiums as he finished second. His performances secured him a return to the WorldSBK paddock with Barni Ducati.

BACK WITH BARNI: seven podiums in two seasons

After adapting to the Pirelli tyres and the WorldSBK format – new to Petrucci – the 33-year-old became a podium contender. His breakthrough weekend in terms of pace came at Misano, before the results followed at Donington with a first rostrum. He backed that up with two podiums at Most, and his next podium came at Phillip Island. He suffered a huge motocross training crash before the Dutch Round, which meant he missed the round, but was back on home soil at Misano and finished a heroic sixth in Race 2. He was back on the podium at Most at the halfway stage of the season before third at Portimao in Race 1 and the Superpole Race. His 2024 performances mean the team have committed to Petrucci for 2025, his third campaign with the team.

PETRUCCI SAYS: “I feel at home here... the renewal was what I wanted”

Expressing his excitement at his new contract, Petrucci said: “This is the team where I was before going to MotoGP™, and the one with which I returned to a World Championship after Dakar and MotoAmerica. In short, I feel at home here, and the renewal was what I wanted. Barni, his family, and his team give everything they have to make a competitive bike. I’m not that young anymore, but I still feel good, and as long as I’m in shape, I have no intention of staying home. Barni and I still want to enjoy some success together, this year and next.

BARNI DUCATI’S PLANNED EXPANSION: a potential second bike, rider unknown

With plenty to celebrate this year, from Petrucci’s incredible performances particularly after his comeback from injury to Nicholas Spinelli stunning the field at Assen to claim Race 1 victory on his debut thanks to an inspired tyre choice, the team have announced their plans to field two Panigale V4 R machines in 2025. Although it is not yet confirmed they will have a second bike, it is the team’s plan as part of their growth; Petrucci’s potential teammate has not yet been named.

THE TEAM’S VIEW: “Renewing with Danilo has always been our priority… goal is to win the Independent teams’ title and stand on the top step of the podium”

Team Owner Marco Barnabo spoke about Petrucci and the possibility of a second bike, adding: “Renewing with Danilo has always been our priority. We know his worth and have great confidence in his abilities. I’m very happy to continue racing with him next season. Together we are on a path that has already brought us great results, like during the weekend just concluded in Portimão. Our goal is to win the Independent teams’ title in 2024 and 2025 and stand on the top step of the podium in a WorldSBK race. I would like to thank Danilo for the trust and esteem he shows towards the team, and all the sponsors who support us and wanted this renewal with us. Together with Spark we are working for the growth of the team: the second Panigale V4 in WorldSBK. This has always been our goal, and we would like to have another rider alongside Danilo.”

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