The Italian riders always seem to have particularly intense experiences at their home rounds, in either an up or down direction, but for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing) human strengths, frailties and sheer spirit were mixed cycle items, swirling around in a washing machine of racing fortune, or otherwise.
He had taken fourth place in Superpole, as part of a phalanx of Ducatis surrounding Toprak Razgatlioglu.
He would no-score in Race One, crashing out. He was deemed to have caused a crash between Yamaha GRT team-mates, Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner right at the start of the Superpole Race, and suffered a long lap penalty as a result.
He took his long lap, but worse was to come in that same race, as he and Lecuona tangled and both fell, laying trackside for so long the race was red-flagged.
Danilo was scanned and checked over and, amazingly given how long he had been down for, he was allowed to get going again in Race Two.
He finished that one seventh, and hobbled to the media centre to speak freely about his multilayered, generally pain filled, home weekend.
He said he was a bit sore… “I lost some skin from the right side of my body. Such a shame because I thought to jump on the podium, during the weekend in three races. Yesterday I was so, so close bit I thought it’s difficult.
"It could have been really, really difficult to pass Toprak yesterday. But I just tried to ride with a bit of margin, but my bike is still not perfect. I locked the front, even if I was slower.
"Today sincerely in Superpole race I didn’t have a good start. But I was on the inside in Turn Two. Unfortunately, it’s a really, really slow corner. Me and Dominic, I was on the inside, Dominic closed the door and sincerely I just felt somebody touch my rear end of the bike.
"For me, it was not correct the decision of the stewards because every time something happened on the first lap, I always said it’s the first lap and it’s difficult to judge. Today they were so in a hurry to give me a long lap. I remember in Indonesia the same thing happened to Lowes, Baz, and me and I went straight into the gravel and I restart dead last - and they gave a red flag but no long lap to Alex. For me it was more or less the same today, but at the end they didn’t even listen to my opinion.
"They gave me a long lap during the race and this sent me to 10th position. Then I tried to make some passes. I was behind the two Honda guys. I was behind Xavi and Xavi passed Iker, who went a little bit wide and I was in the middle. I was in the middle of the track, and unfortunately I touched really bad Iker. I’m so sorry he’s injured. I want to go at least to ask him how is the situation, because he’s a friend of mine and I’m so sorry he’s injured.
"Also on my side, I have a big haematoma on the hip. Nothing broken, but it’s really, really painful. I have a lot of pain on my back and on my right leg. Then unfortunately when you crash in the Superpole race, you are in the middle of the grid for the next race and make some passes still really difficult for me. I’m still looking for the perfect bike. But riding alone I’m fast, but it’s really difficult for me to make some overtakes.
"So at the end, we decide to race at just to 1PM, just one hour before the race started, because the doctor suggested to not race. I said I need to try, at least. At the end, I tried and I finished the race. I scored some points, but I’m really disappointed. I hope at least to have made a step forward for fight into the top five.”
When asked about the crash in the Superpole Race which saw Aegerter sliding out and Gardner high-siding out, Petrucci stated he was too inside to do anything about the outcome. “I was already on the limit because I was on the curb. I would have crashed, me too, with Dominic and with Remy. You know when you are there, at least you try to save yourself. But I don't think the stewards have been so nice this year with me always in this situation, but at least you can talk and you can give me a penalization at the end of the race. Not giving me a long lap on the second lap. For me it’s not right. As you said, when you are on the inside, where can I go?”
He continued, “How many crashes we have seen in Turn Two in Misano in the first corner, or at the end we have seen many, many crashes or clashes the first lap but they have a different judgement because it’s the first lap and everyone wants to stay in front. But I was really on the curb on the inside. I have no space to go. Especially even I didn’t see Dominic crashing, because I was in front. I’m so sorry for him and for Remy, for sure. But for me, the stewards decision is absolutely wrong.”
Petrucci said he had not had a chance to go and speak to Aegerter and Gardner to explain.
“No, because I was in the medical center. I have been there. They wanted to check my hip and my femur. Then I go back to the pit and said okay, I will try to race. I wear my suit and I go. I didn’t even went to lunch. I’m so hungry.”
Despite all the issues and incidents for Petrucci, in pace at least there have been some improvements.”Yeah. It’s a bit of a step forward this weekend,” said Danilo. “At the end, I was riding alone and made a good lap time. This morning I was even happy when Toprak started to follow me because he’s a world champion and he’s really fast. If a world champion tries to follow you, it means you are fast. This morning I was fast because we were third and fourth. I think our potential was more or less there. I think to have definitely made a step forward, we will see for sure in Donington. Last time I was in Donington was in 2009, so I was really, really young. I can’t wait to go to Donington and see if we can fight for the top five even there.”
