BMW works rider Danilo Petrucci (35): “I’ve got nothing left to lose”

BMW had until the end of June to exercise options on both of this year’s riders, Miguel Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci, for the 2027 World Superbike Championship – and chose not to, for very different reasons.

It is easy to predict that BMW will try to secure Oliveira’s services for the long term. The Portuguese rider has already finished third on the podium four times this year and, on the M1000RR, is regularly setting faster lap times than last year’s world champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu. Had it not been for his injury in Hungary, the five-time MotoGP winner would most likely be sitting in third place in the World Championship standings.

The situation is quite different for ROKiT team-mate Petrucci: his best result so far is sixth place in the second race at the season opener at Phillip Island in Australia. The veteran rider must deliver a top performance in England to keep his chances of retaining his ride alive.

Danilo Petrucci: Confident and happy

Petrucci has recovered reasonably well from the coccyx fracture he sustained in mid-May at Brüx (Most) and emphasised during a meeting with SPEEDWEEK.com at Donington Park that he had thoroughly enjoyed the test on the same circuit on 23 June. “That was one of my best days; the test gives us a slight advantage right from the start,” said the three-time Superbike winner. “I’m confident and happy. Neither I nor BMW are satisfied with how our season has started or the results we’ve achieved. Unfortunately, my injury came at the busiest time of the season; I’ve got nothing left to lose. I know my results don’t reflect my full potential. I have to try and ride faster – let’s see if we can improve our situation.”

If that’s not enough, then it’s not enough.

Danilo Petrucci on his performances

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And how is the Italian coping with the fact that he’s without a contract for next year? “I don’t feel any pressure or fear because of it,” remarked Danilo. “My season didn’t start as expected; I had that nasty crash and missed three events. That hit us all hard. BMW wants to see what I’m capable of before we decide to continue together. I’ve given my best ever since I became part of this project. If that’s not enough, then it’s not enough. If I’ve given my best, then I’m happy – but not satisfied. Nothing’s been decided yet; it’s in my hands.”

If BMW decides against extending Petrucci’s contract, there is plenty of choice on the rider market. There is particular interest in Moto2 World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez, should the 23-year-old Spaniard fail to secure a MotoGP ride. The same applies to Brad Binder, who can only remain in MotoGP if KTM decides to continue working with him and places the South African in Günther Steiner’s Tech3 team.