MotoGP | Petrucci 9th: "I'm returning to the levels of the beginning of the season" – Moto

Confident of being able to defend himself in the second group, close to the podium, Danilo Petrucci cannot be glad to have crossed the finish line in ninth position, after starting from the eighth box on the starting grid. The Ducati centaur was left in the middle of the pack, unable to get the necessary starting point to battle with Rins and Mir's two Suzuki, Crutchlow's Honda LCR and Morbidelli's Yamaha Petronas.

The skilled rider from Terni found himself fighting with Valentino Rossi, then slipped, and finished 14 "seconds behind the winner Marquez and at 13 ″ from the boxer Andrea Dovizioso, who left just ahead and finished third. For Petrucci still tire problems: "I can't be satisfied with my result, even though I struggled a lot in the race. Unfortunately I have struggled a lot in the first laps with the front tire, which got too hot, but when I managed to get it back to the right temperature I started shooting with good times and, in the last part of the race, I was fast".

"Petrux" explained however that he sees the glass half full, having the feeling of having made some small steps forward: "I still need something to go back to top races, but I feel that I'm coming back to my early season level. It is clear that we must and want to do more and fortunately Australia is only in a week".

With the 7 points collected at Motegi, the umbro rises to 169 points, to -7 from the third place he set as a goal, currently the prerogative of Maverick Vinales and Alex Rins when three races are missing at the end of the championship.