WorldSBK Phillip Island: ‘Three races will be tough’ - Petrucci

Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci is set for a highly anticipated arrival in WorldSBK this weekend as the Barni Spark rider lines up at Phillip Island.

Petrucci is no stranger to the WorldSBK paddock following three seasons in Superstock 600 and two in Stock1000, which culminated in a vice championship before his move to MotoGP in 2012.

”I’m feeling excited and curious because it’s a new championship,” Petrucci admitted on his return to the world stage in the production class. “I always wanted to come one day racing in World Superbike. Last year when the opportunity came I say ‘Okay, maybe it’s time to go back to a world championship’. I think World Superbike now is growing up, the fight for the title last year was huge and so I say to myself, ‘Why I can’t see the races closer’. So I decide to join this championship and I’m really happy.

“I left this paddock in 2011 and I was racing with Barni in Superstock, and I rejoined this paddock with the same team,” he continued on his journey home. “Was really nice because I remember so well that 2011 season in Superstock. We fought till the end for the championship, and we won the Italian championship in Superstock, so I have big trust in this team and at the moment, everything is working.”

A non-stop transition from MotoGP to MotoAmerica via the Dakar Rally last winter gave way to a longer than ideal off season this time around, with the Italian joining January’s preseason tests having not competed since his Suzuki wildcard at the Thai Grand Prix the previous September.

Despite that, Jerez proved favourable, at least initially before he swapped to the 2023-spec Panigale V4R for Portimao and Phillip Island. Completing the final day of testing in Australia eleventh in the overall times,