News

A talented Italian youngster is rapidly emerging on the International scene and his aim is to be in World Superbike next year. On Sunday 20 year-old Danilo Petrucci won the Italian CIV Superstock 1000 title, with one round left to race. Born in Umbria, Petrucci is the top rider for Team Italia, the programme set up again this year by the Italian Motorcycling Federation. Another curiosity about Petrucci is that he forms part of the Italian State Police's sports squad.

Petrucci began racing in 2007 and this season he also has a role as tester for Ducati's factory racing department. "Winning the Italian title early was great but I was on the best bike so I only did what was required. For years I've had to get by with bikes of an inferior standard, this time I was the one with an ace up my sleeve. The Ducati 1198R is a marvel, and the Barni team did the rest."

The superiority of Petrux was such that he managed to win the title early despite having a few problems. "Two DNFs in seven rounds, but they weren't my fault: at Misano the bike broke and I crashed and at Mugello we made a wrong choice of tyres. When everything went well, I could do fantastic lap times."

In Friday's free practice session at Vallelunga, Petrucci was quickest overall, even quicker than the Superbikes, and the World Championship regulars may actually find themselves having to deal with another tricky customer pretty soon...

"I'd like to make my world championship debut this season. I reckon I can't win the FIM Cup anymore, I've had too much bad luck and so if the situation doesn't change much at Imola and Magny-Cours there's no point in carrying on. I'd like to make the jump into the top class at Portimao. I think I can do well because I lapped very quick at Mugello with the new bike."

Petrucci is actually reported to have gone one second quicker than a certain Troy Bayliss at Mugello....