No Matter What
Danilo Petrucci’s career has been quite the rollercoaster. The 31-year-old Italian and long-time #revitrider went from bidding an emotional farewell to his time in MotoGP to making a bizarre racing debut in the Dakar Rally in a matter of just 47 days. This mindboggling turn of events calls for an in-depth interview with Danilo. We sat down with him when he came to visit the new REV’IT! headquarters for the first time.
REV’IT!: Gone are the one-piece racing leathers, switching to off-road gear instead. And in just a few weeks’ time, you had immersed yourself in a completely new world. How did you come up with the idea of racing the Dakar Rally, especially considering you had only just finished the season in MotoGP?
Danilo: “The plans were finalized only last August, after I had mentioned to KTM I wanted to race in the Dakar someday. It was something I had always dreamed of doing, but frankly, I could’ve never imagined taking part in it that quickly. Looking back, I think the timing could not have been any better."
“I had gotten tired of the constant pressure you face in MotoGP. I didn’t get the feeling of having fun riding bikes anymore, and I believed I could get that back in the Dakar. But of course, I knew it was going to be a challenge with so little time between the end of the MotoGP season and the start of the Dakar Rally.”
“Compared to the Dakar Rally, a MotoGP race is more like a sprint. In terms of results, I didn’t know what to expect either. I mean, I had only raced in one rally event before the Dakar. So, I sat down with the team to try and set a reasonable goal for the event. We decided that we would be perfectly happy to finish in the top thirty. I never imagined making it into the top-ten. Let alone win a stage.”
"We decided that we would be perfectly happy to finish in the top thirty. I never imagined making it into the top-ten. Let alone win a stage."
At what point did you start to realise you might actually get some really good results after all?
“On the second day, when I finished in 13th place, I knew it was because a lot of top riders had made a big mistake navigating – something like eight of them. So, I was well aware it would be difficult to make it into the top-ten regularly, because under normal circumstances, I would’ve finished behind those guys, too. And then the next day, my KTM broke down with an electrical issue. It felt like I lost whatever chance I had of getting a strong result. It was such a massive disappointment. That completely changed when I heard I had actually been fighting for the podium until then. It boosted my confidence a lot."
“In the first stages, I had already noticed that I could excel on certain terrains. Like for instance, on the fast, rocky plains. On those sections, you’re almost constantly in fourth, fifth, and sixth gear. The stage was like that on the day I eventually came in third. Starting from around twentieth place, I overtook so many riders. It almost felt like a MotoGP race. Because of the high-speed nature of the rally stage, we had our first fuel stop relatively early on. One of the officials came up to me. ‘Number 1,’ he said. I was like, no, my racing number is 90. But he meant I was in first place. I could not believe it. Not until he showed me the classification at least. It’s a shame I got a time penalty in the end, but for me it was just really cool to be able to run at the front like that.”
“That’s right, speed wasn’t an issue. Other riders mentioned to me they had noticed my outright speed, too. My balance on the bike and my quick reflexes were also of good use. Those are all skills and qualities, I built up in MotoGP.”
"It’s quite the struggle to suppress the feeling of fear. So much so, I’m not so sure about a full-time switch to rally raids just yet."
You mentioned you got tired of the pressure of racing in MotoGP, and now you’ve signed with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati to race in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Is getting away from the pressure you mentioned what drives you to go racing in the US?
“I have had a long and very nice career in MotoGP, but lately, I hadn’t been enjoying it as much as I used to. MotoGP is really only fun when you’re able to fight for the podium. This new move came at just right time. I needed something different altogether to try and find a nice balance between performance and pleasure."
“With the Dakar Rally, I felt like I had made the right decision and hopefully it will be the same for racing in MotoAmerica. It’s hard to say right now, but I am feeling happy to take on this challenge. I really wanted to discover what America is like – I’ve always had a soft spot for that country.”
“I did not want to end up without a ride, so in the end, I chose what’s best for me. It was mostly just miscommunication, we’re still very much on good terms. For now, it’s all about figuring out where to go from here. I’m taking it one step at a time, but I’m not making a secret of wanting to go race the Dakar again. Preferably with better preparations this time, like for instance, doing the Rallye du Maroc ahead of time.”
“And I do have a flat track bike back home, but I haven’t touched that in quite a while. That said, I would like to try that in America. There’s just so much I want to do and I’m already looking forward to doing all sorts of riding.”
The Human Side of REV’IT!
“But to me, the human side of things is also an incredibly important part of it. It’s something REV’IT! really excels at. The general consumer only gets to see and feel the quality of their products, but I also get to work with the people that make up REV’IT! and experience first-hand just how much passion goes into their work. There’s a strong sense of mutual respect – you really feel it. That, to me, makes all the difference in the world. It was the same when I entered in the Dakar Rally. They got right to work to help make it happen. I’m very happy and I am truly proud to have been the first REV’IT! rider to take part in the Dakar Rally.”