Danilo Petrucci has discussed the potential of riding for the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati squad in the 2026 World Superbike Championship.
Ahead of this weekend's World Superbike Round at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, a space was made available in the Ducati factory squad for 2026.
One of the names that has been linked to this seat is Barni Spark Racing rider Danilo Petrucci. The independent Ducati rider discussed the chance of riding for the team, but does not know if the team want a younger rider.
"Let's see," Petrucci told WorldSBK.com when asked about if he expects an approach from the Ducati factory squad.
"I am focusing on my job. I think there will be a lot of talks this weekend, but I don't know if I am good for that bike, if they are looking for an experienced rider like me or a younger rider.
"Unfortunately, I am not young anymore, so let's see. For sure, I am doing everything I can to be as fast as possible. I can talk to everyone, but at the same time, I feel really good in my team."
Switching his focus to his on-track performance, Petrucci admitted that he struggled during the Misano Test, but hopes the hot temperatures may help him this weekend.
"I am happy to be here in Misano," he explained.
"The weather is really hot, but we did some tests a couple of weeks ago, and the weather was so different. But in the end, we were able to find something; we tried many things.
"We have not been really fast, we have some issues to solve, but in the end the weather conditions are really different, so we expect to suffer with the extreme heat but maybe it will be an advantage."
Reflecting on the same race weekend in 2024, Petrucci recalled returning from injury to finishing a World Superbike race in front of his home fans.
"On an emotional side it was one of the best weekends of my life," he said.
"I still remember that after the race on Saturday, I was in my camper and I heard a lot of people screaming my name. I opened the door, and there were like 200 people.
"I started to cry at the end of Race Two. I did the last lap in tears because I was so exhausted, but at the same time, so satisfied and happy.
"It was one of the best memories of my life, not even one month from a bed to finishing a race on a Superbike was something amazing."
