Donington Park: “I want to stay and win”: Debut podium erases Danilo Petrucci's WorldSBK doubts, celebrates ‘first step’ towards dream double
Danilo Petrucci can now add World Superbike podium finisher alongside accolades such as double MotoGP race winner, Dakar stage victor and MotoAmerica title runner-up.
The Italian achieved the feat at the end of his sixth appearance in the series, at Donington Park on Sunday, catching and passing six-time world champion Jonathan Rea no less to secure third in the closing stages.
It was a welcome boost for Petrucci who admits he underestimated the difficulty of succeeding in WorldSBK and had been questioning his future.
But Donington Park boosted Petrucci’s belief that he can achieve his dream of joining an elite list of riders to win races in both MotoGP and World Superbike.
Acknowledging that a WorldSBK victory won’t be easy until reigning champion Alvaro Bautista retires, the Barni Ducati rider indicated he wants to stay in the championship for 2024 and beyond.
“I'm so happy because at the beginning of this year, also after the first two rounds, I said ‘I don't know if I did a good choice to come back in a world championship’. Because you have always to learn new tyres, new tracks, new challengers,” Petrucci revealed.
“When I quit racing in 2021 in MotoGP, I said I’ll do like elephants - go dying somewhere far away, in the Dakar! But then I won [a stage] at the Dakar and I said maybe I'm still good with bikes!
“But jokes apart. I'm so happy, especially for my team because they’ve been through a lot of struggles.
“I remember in 2011 when I was racing with Barney, the team was really good and especially the team owner, Marco Barnabo, is really passionate about bikes. So he and the team deserve this result.”
Petrucci: “I’m still not satisfied, I came here to win”
While a massive relief to have taken a podium finish, especially after seeing rostrum speed count for nothing at the previous Misano round, Petrucci made clear: “I'm still not satisfied. Because I came here to win at least one race.
“When I decided to come back in the World Championship in World Superbike, I was in the USA last year reading all the names who won at least one race in MotoGP and World Superbike. All big names. And I said ‘I want to be one of them’.
“But then the reality was quite tough to face.
“I was thinking about - it's not a secret - to go back to the Dakar, go back to the USA, because I love racing but I love to stay in front.
“But I have a mission. I want to win a race here. It’s almost impossible with Alvaro now because he's really on another level. But anyway, we did our first step.”
“MotoGP is for sure the pinnacle of racing,” Petrucci added. “But you need to be in World Superbike to understand that these riders – Toprak, Alvaro, Johnny - are like the first guys in MotoGP.
“Toprak and most of the others are also quite young, and they are really eager to stay in front. They want to beat you because you are a MotoGP winner. They are hungry. So it's quite tough.
“I thought it was easier to come here in World Superbike because OK, I won in MotoGP, I stood on the podium many times. But in the end, it was really tough! And I still miss what I want, which is to be one of the riders that won at least one race in World Superbike and MotoGP.
“It's tough because maybe I have to wait until Alvaro quits, to win a race! I don't know also about Toprak, Johnny and a lot of the other names. But I want to fulfil my dream to win a race here. Then maybe we'll see. If I'm good for the championship… I want to stay here again.”
"I like 'old school' Donington a lot"
Petrucci’s Race 2 podium was the culmination of his best WorldSBK weekend so far with a fourth place in Race 1, followed by a fifth in the Superpole race.
“We didn't expect anything from this round,” Petrucci admitted. “In Misano, I was quite surprised about the performance. But I didn't expect it here because everyone said Donington is a really bad track for Ducati.
“But I remember this track was really, really nice. Old school, really flowing. I like this kind of track a lot.
“I struggle a lot in the last part because there are really slow hairpins, I weigh 95kg with the leather suit and to move all this weight is quite tough, but in the other parts it’s one of my best circuits.
“I still suffer when the tyres are new but I was able to lap in ‘26 until the end of the race. So when I saw seven laps to go and the two riders just in front [to get the podium], I said ‘I need to try’.”
Petrucci is currently eighth in the world championship heading into his next home round at Imola later this month.
Another former MotoGP rider, Andrea Iannone, has been linked with a second Barni Ducati seat alongside Petrucci next season.
