“At least I still chew the bikes”: Danilo Petrucci at MOW also on Marquez, the “Acosta and Bulega revolution”, SBK and MotoGP… – MOW

Pdo you really think Toprak Razgatlioglu can aim for the title with BMW?

Not only do I think so, I also said it to you at MOW a few months ago, when the season hadn’t started yet. Toprak has an inhuman talent, BMW is all there for him and they can also count on super concessions. So yes, I confirm what I said about him at the time: Toprak is in full fight for the title and will compete with Bulega and Bautista.

Speaking of Alvaro Bautista, it is said that he may decide to quit…

I don’t know him well enough to say whether he will stop or not. I respect him a lot and I absolutely admire the desire he has, but I don’t have that confidence with him to venture hypotheses on the possibility that he is really thinking about retiring or not. What I have to say, but only on the basis of an impression, is that when a rider is still competitive he doesn’t think about quitting and Alvaro is absolutely competitive. So I couldn’t really say.

What do you say about MotoGP, however?

I’ll say that I’m not so sure that everyone is really happy with the performance of the tyres. It’s the same old story, but this year it seems amplified, as if it were now clear that not all tires perform in the same way. We see too many ups and downs and from the riders’ statements, however veiled, we understand that the tires are always a bit of an unknown. Which does not mean, let’s be clear, that everything has been studied on paper or that there is some plan or conspiracy involved, but simply that the performance of the tires is not always the same.

Is the world struggle still a discussion between Ducatisti?

Until last weekend I would have told you yes. Now, however, I saw a Vinales who has something in his eyes that I have never seen before. Already in Portimao he had been crazy. Maverick is one of the most crystal-clear talents in all of MotoGP, but throughout his career it was as if a half comma out of place was enough for that talent to remain unexpressed. Now, however, he seems capable of leading even over problems, he has a different light in his gaze and seems very determined. And then the Aprilia is an excellent bike, so I’ll also include Vinales among the candidates.