After a solid showing in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season opener and debut with his new ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Danilo Petrucci was able to lay down laps on one of the two days of testing at Portimao. He collected vital data for his team as they continue to work towards the podium fight. With the calendar returning to the European Rounds -which BMW has enjoyed success at in past seasons- the trajectory looks positive for Petrucci and company.

ADVERSE CONDITIONS: “I’m starting to understand the bike, despite not having quality weather to lay down good laps”

The Portimao test was set to be a great opportunity for riders like Petrucci and his teammate, Miguel Oliveira, to ride laps and better understand their BMW M 1000 RR bikes after not participating in the largely rained-out preseason test event at Portimao in January. Day 1 was just that, providing almost a full day of riding before the first drops of rain fell in the afternoon. On Day 1, Petrucci logged a best time of 1’41.494s, his fastest of his 38 laps run that day to make him the sixth-fastest rider on the day. Day 2, however, wasn’t quite as cooperative, with overnight rain saturating the tarmac before rain fell again in the afternoon, before the track had dried off.

On his single day of testing ahead of the round, Petrucci said: “Unfortunately, another test with rain, but in the end, at least we had the chance to ride a bit on Day 1. We discovered some new things. We were working on the bike setup at Portimao, preparing for the race. In the end, we still don’t have a base setup, so we used the setup from Australia. We need more time to manage a good setup here, but I’m starting to understand the bike despite the lack of quality weather to lay down good laps.”

JOINING THE FIGHT: “I’m happy, we’re not far like we were at Phillip Island”

It came as a surprise to few that Petrucci and the rest of the BMW cohort had their fair share of struggles at Phillip Island in the season opener. Limited preseason testing, a new bike, and new personnel all coming together at a season-opening circuit, which BMW has struggled to earn strong results with consistency. With these factors in mind, Petrucci’s Race 1 P6, Tissot Superpole Race P10, and Race 2 P10 were solid results, and the Italian feels a step closer to the fight at the front.

On the development of his bike, and the steps he’s taking towards feeling comfortable on it, Petrucci said: “I’m happy, we’re not far like we were at Phillip Island. Step by step, we are making progress. For the upcoming round at Portimao, I’m feeling more confident. I think we can improve our performance from the Australian Round.”

Catch Petrucci and Oliveira as they look to battle at the front once again! Watch it all live and OnDemand with the WorldSBK VideoPass!