MotoGP: Danilo Petrucci guest on Radio Deejay

Danilo Petrucci MotoGP 2017 – Danilo Petrucci, Pramac Racing rider from Terni, was a guest on Radio Deejay with Linus and Nicola Savino. The Ducati rider answered the two conductors' questions and then went towards Misano, where from today the Ducati will be on the track for a test, especially in terms of aerodynamics. Here's what "Petrux" said.

Now you are on holiday, there is a very long break.

“Yes, there is a very long break, we did many races in June, 4 in 5 weekends. For us, however, the holidays are already over, starting tomorrow we will be in Misano for three days of testing."

What do you do when there are no races.

“We train a lot physically, because we can't go on motorbikes (talking about the motorbikes they race with, ed.). I have a trainer who follows me every day who then gives directions to a clinic in Viareggio, specialized in drivers, called Formula Medicine. I mostly work in the gym, but not the weights, because I'm already big. Being big is sometimes a limit, I have to be as light as possible. Now I weigh about 80 kg. I'm as tall as Valentino (Rossi, ed.) but I weigh about 12 kg more.”

Nicola then asks about the forearm operation that many riders including Dovizioso have had.

“It's called Fasciotomy, Dovizioso did it, but I didn't. It's a sheath that contains muscle, it's cut to make it work better, but I didn't do it.”

Petrucci then explains what you do when you can't train with the MotoGP bikes.

“The problem is not just the bike, but also the tyres. Trust comes slowly. In the last two years since we changed them (from Bridgestone to Michelin, ed.) we gave some nice "facades" and it wasn't the best. It was like running on a frozen lake. Now the situation is calmer.”

Then a question about braking references.

“We have references, usually every 50 m. You can also use a curb, a line on the ground, but these are references that you can't always use. Sometimes you have the bike with a full tank, other times with new tires. Or a qualifying lap, or you're fine-tuning the bike for a race, it's not always the same thing."

Do you train with video games?

“Lately I've been “playing” the simulator, but with the car. The circuits are those of motorbikes, so it helps.”

Nicola then asks questions about the gearbox and brakes of a MotoGP.

“The gearbox is on the left, but it works the opposite of a road gearbox. As for the brakes, the front one is on the right, while the rear one is on both the right foot and the left hand. The latter is activated with the thumb and is used above all on right-hand bends, when you cannot brake with your foot while lying down.”

A throwback when asked about his speed in the wet.

“I must say that I have always felt at ease with water. When I arrived in the premier class I didn't have a competitive bike in dry conditions. But with the rain we managed to have the right pace and go fast.”

Petrux then spoke about current events, the two podiums in 2017.

“At Mugello I tried to win, but I was really close to the limit. To overtake Dovi I would have had to do something impossible, so I understood that I couldn't get more than third place. I also tried at Assen, it was a good battle there with Vale (Rossi, ed.).”

A question then about the most entertaining opponent.

“Crutchlow is a fun opponent, he is very colorful both in the paddock and on the track. When they overtake him or he comes along he always gets agitated and shakes his head, I don't know what he thinks."

Speed ​​theme, at Mugello the speed reaches 350 km/h

“It's true that we reach 350 km/h at Mugello, but we do it on just one wheel, the one at the back. At that point without the wings the bike rises. In Germany for example, with wet qualifying, we saw that the wheel never touched on the straight. However, 200 km/h on the road is much more dangerous than 350 km/h on the track. I own a Scrambler, I never exceed 90 km/h.”

Then comes a question about Mattia Pasini, winner at Mugello.

“He's a rider from Riccione, he's a friend and he's very strong. He has the front brake on the left along with the clutch. He won a scary race at Mugello. The whole world wonders how he drives like this, not just us.”

One last comment on nutrition.

“I eat about two hours before the race, usually brown rice with tuna, chicken breast and a banana.”