Danilo Petrucci was one of the most liked personalities in the MotoGP paddock. After his year-long contract with the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing team ended, he decided to participate in the Dakar rally. It’s been a rollercoaster of a month for the Italian, he suffered a broken leg in training early in December and was almost denied entry into the 2022 Dakar after a false-positive COVID test.
Then, in the opening stages of the rally, his KTM 450 faced a technical issue and he was forced to retire from the stage. However, he bounced back and recorded an impressive P3 finish in Stage 4.
There was a lot of speculation as to where Petrucci will be racing following his outing at the Dakar, and he’s laid them all to rest after confirming that he will be MotoAmerica’s latest addition next year. In an interview with Raquel Jiménez Rodríguez from the Motosan.es website, he said “After MotoGP and the Dakar, I will go to MotoAmerica.”
Rumors suggest that he will race aboard a Ducati Panigale V4 R, with the HSBK Racing outfit. While the news has not been confirmed, it’s likely considering Petrucci’s history with the manufacturer in MotoGP.
Petrucci’s addition to the MotoAmerica roster will certainly draw viewership to the American Superbike series and it will be interesting to see how he fares.
Source: Motosan.es via MotoAmerica, Asphalt and Rubber