Danilo Petrucci: Despite his frustration with BMW, he’d make the same decision again

For Danilo Petrucci, the move to BMW was supposed to be his chance to take the next step in the World Superbike Championship. Instead, the Italian is experiencing his most difficult season in the championship to date. His results are falling short of expectations, and the crashes are piling up. After 2026, he will have to make way for Brad Binder in the works team. Petrucci does not yet know what will happen after that.

In an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, the former MotoGP winner made it clear just how much the situation is weighing on him. He is unable to find the confidence on the M1000RR that had previously made him a regular podium contender at Barni-Ducati. Although, by his own admission, he is risking everything, the progress he had hoped for has failed to materialise.

“I’m a bit sad because I’m saying goodbye to the Superbike World Championship in the worst possible way. But on the other hand, I ask myself what I should have done differently. This year, I’ve pushed myself to the limit. I’ve crashed far more often this year than in previous years.”

However, his departure from the championship is not yet a done deal. As well as a possible BMW ride in MotoAmerica, there is an opportunity with GoEleven. For that to happen, sponsor Pata would have to release the budget for a second rider. Petrucci does not yet have a firm solution.

Why he doesn’t see the move to BMW as a mistake

His words nevertheless show just how deep his disappointment has become. It’s not just about race results, but also about the price he’s willing to pay for them. “I can’t make the most of the bike’s potential and I can’t compensate for the problems. Getting injured just to ride around in the back of the field isn’t worth it to me. I’m not 25 anymore.”

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Weltmeister Toprak Razgatlioglu (li.) mit seinem BMW-Nachfolger Danilo Petrucci

Foto: Gold & Goose

Nevertheless, it would be too easy for Petrucci to dismiss the move to BMW as a mistake. When he made the decision, he was drawn to a bike with which Toprak Razgatlioglu had dominated the Superbike World Championship. Petrucci wanted to find out what he could achieve with this package. “If I could go back a year and was asked a hundred times which team I should choose, I’d choose BMW a hundred times over. It’s easy to say now: ‘You made a mistake.’”

Toprak’s string of victories fascinated Petrucci

Petrucci illustrated just how long this desire had been brewing within him with an unusual story, which he’d also told his crew. In his gym, there was a water area with numbered controls. One number had particularly caught his eye.

“There were numbers 50 to 59 there. Ever since I’d been in the Superbike World Championship, I’d press 54 every morning – 54, 54, 54 – because that was Toprak’s bike,” he recalled. “When I received the two offers last year, I said: ‘Let me think about it overnight.’ The next morning, I went to the gym, pressed 54 and asked myself: ‘What on earth are you thinking about? This is exactly what you’ve wanted, at least since the start of 2024.’”

For Petrucci, the place in the BMW works team was the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream. He couldn’t have known at the time that things would turn out so differently from a sporting perspective. “I’d wanted this for two years. Now I’m exactly where I wanted to be. If I’d known what the future held, I might not be here. But I knew that this move could either make me a winner or force me to retire. Unfortunately, it’s the latter.”

Interest in Petrucci is waning

It is particularly bitter for him that the difficult season has apparently also affected his prospects on the rider market. “Now I don’t even know why nobody’s interested in me anymore. But to be honest, I’m not even that sad. I’ve given it my all and I’m satisfied with what I’ve achieved. Of course, I’d love to finish this season on a higher note. But as I told my crew: I’m really giving it my all.”

He can envisage continuing his career in the US. Petrucci is already familiar with MotoAmerica from the 2022 season. A factory-backed BMW project would also allow him to stay with the manufacturer. “That’s an option. They’ll have to decide. It would certainly be a prospect I’d like, because I’d still be part of the BMW Group. I’d love to stay here, but nothing’s been confirmed yet.”

However, when it comes to finding a new ride, Petrucci doesn’t see his results as the only obstacle. His age and the financial circumstances are also on his mind. “Unfortunately, I’m 36, and people are always looking for a younger rider. In times like these, would you choose a rider you have to pay, or perhaps a young rider who says: ‘I’ll come for free’? Most of the time, people go for the young rider, especially if he costs less.”