Valentino Rossi has also asked Danilo Petrucci about the Dakar Rally – “Petrux” has suggested to Rossi a joint start in the car
Danilo Petrucci has made motorsport history. The Italian became the first former MotoGP rider to win a motorbike stage of the Dakar Rally, making headlines around the world. In the overall standings, Petrucci no longer plays a role in the leading field, as he had to retire in stage 2 due to a defective fuel pump.
With penalty hours he was allowed to continue the race. Stage 5 was won by “Petrux” after Toby Price received a penalty time. “In the past few days, many riders have asked me about the Dakar,” Petrucci is quoted as saying by ‘GPOne.com’.
The MotoGP community is closely following how the KTM rider is doing in the Saudi Arabian desert, as no one has dared to make such a switch in the recent past. The last prominent changer was Jürgen van den Goorbergh, who contested his first Dakar in 2009.
In 2016, van den Goorbergh won the Malle-Moto category. In this class, the motorcyclists are on their own and have no service team. Van den Goorbergh was never represented in the top field of professionals for these reasons.
Could more MotoGP riders consider the Dakar in the future after their GP career? “I spoke to Valentino, he asked how it was going,” Petrucci reveals of an exchange with Valentino Rossi. Petrucci dreams of a joint start.
“I told him that he should be at the wheel and that I would be his navigator. A racer like him could win, but I’m not sure he could do it with me as his navigator,” Petrucci laughs. He doesn’t think a shared start in the car will ever happen, though.
“Valentino is not very compatible with the hours we have here in the Dakar. But the cars do start later, so maybe we could do it. That would be cool!” Fernando Alonso proved in 2020 that it is possible to be successful as a lateral entrant in the cars.
The two-time Formula 1 world champion finished 13th in a Toyota at the time. In eight stages, Alonso made it into the top 10. He had Marc Coma as his co-driver. Coma, himself a five-time Dakar winner on a motorbike, currently works as a consultant for KTM.
After the Dakar, Petrucci will focus on asphalt tracks again. He will compete in MotoAmerica in the USA this year on a Ducati. These plans are to be announced after the rally.
“MotoAmerica? It’s not official yet,” Petrucci told ‘GPOne.com’. “I had to make this decision before the Dakar, but I requested that it only become official after the Dakar.” He will say goodbye to KTM and return to the Ducati family.
