Not too surprisingly, Danilo Petrucci was one of the great protagonists of this first day of action on the Portimao track. Restarted with the same attitude that allowed him to climb onto the podium in the last appointment in Most, the Terni native of the Barni Spark Racing team concluded Friday by setting the best time in FP2, with an advantage of 23 thousandths over the official Ducati of Alvaro Bautista, first of the pursuers.
“I was quite scared of this track, because last year it was quite difficult for me. Even though Race 2 last year wasn’t that bad and the tests in February this year weren’t bad either,” Petrux commented. “Let’s say that this season we’ve always been in the leading group and for me it’s very important to be up there on this track too, because it’s a very nice track, one of my favourites, but it hasn’t always gone well for me since I raced there in MotoGP and Superbike.”
Despite initial concerns and a physical condition that was still not perfect, Danilo managed to start the weekend on the right foot right from FP1, ending with a 4th place.
“This morning I went well and this afternoon even better, because we used the new rear tyre, which in my opinion is more consistent,” explained the rider from Terni, illustrating the work done: “I didn’t use any new tyres at the end, so I got the best time with the same tyre used at the beginning. I’m quite confident and happy, because I have a good feeling with the bike and we make a step forward every time we try to make some changes.”
It must be said, however, that what helped Petrucci to close Friday with the best time of the day, in addition to Bautista’s crash in the final minutes of FP2, was the technical problem that sidelined the championship leader, Toprak Razgatlioglu.
“He is definitely very fast. I met him this afternoon, we had the chance to do some laps together, and he had the same tyre used in FP1. I don’t know if he changed anything in the end, but I’m happy because I managed to improve my benchmark and my speed with used tyres, despite having stopped in the pits,” commented the 33-year-old. “I think Toprak is a step ahead of everyone at the moment and he also has a great bike. I can’t complain, though, because he is a great talent, with a good bike, and I think he is the man to beat. I would be happy if I could create some problems for him tomorrow.”
Petrucci, however, is not yet 100% fit, after the injury he suffered in motocross.
“Am I at 70%? I don’t have a percentage, but I was struggling quite a bit with my arm this morning. The thing is, I broke my collarbone and I have to do some shoulder recovery exercises that are in contrast with my performance on the bike,” he said. “I always train to try to open up my shoulder and I feel really good with 95% of my body, but I really have no strength in my arm.”
So what could be Danilo’s goal for tomorrow’s first race?
“Top 5 is always a good result, but I would like to get on the podium,” he admitted. “There is a big drop in tyre performance here compared to Donington and Most, so tyre management will be one of the keys at the end of the race. In the end we are quite fast, but the race is very long and this is quite a physical track, or at least I have to fight a lot with my bike. There are a lot of things to consider for the race, but it will be better to manage the tyre from the first lap and stay calm.”
The team’s standard-bearer then reserved a final comment on the twilight races of this Portuguese Round.
“I like this program. For me, who has a hard time getting up early, they should have all the races at this time! – he said smiling – The heat is more or less the same, but I like it and I think it is better for the spectators to watch the races around dinner time. It is an interesting thing, which we could also use for other races”.
