Danilo Petrucci Leaves
MotoAmerica For WorldSBK
D
anilo Petrucci will not make
a return for a sophomore
year in MotoAmerica in 2023
after penning a deal to race for
Barni Spark Racing Ducati in the
WorldSBK paddock.
The Italian headed to Mo-
toAmerica in 2022 for the HSBK
Ducati team and immediately
made an impact, winning his
first three races and taking the
championship down to the last
race of the season at Barber
International Raceway and finish-
ing second to two-time champion
Jake Gagne. He would take five
race wins in total for the season.
He also ventured into the Dakar
Rally with KTM at the start of
2022, winning one stage of the
iconic off-road event.
Petrucci made his first ap-
pearance inside the WorldSBK
paddock back in 2007 when
he made his STK600 debut
on Yamaha machinery, staying
in the championship for three
seasons after six poles and three
wins. For 2010, he moved into
STK1000 for two seasons, first
with Team Pedercini on Kawasaki
machinery and then with Barni
Ducati. Four wins and six pole
positions in 10 races followed
as he took second in the cham-
pionship, before moving into
MotoGP.
Petrucci spent ten full seasons
competing in MotoGP, taking two
race wins, one at the 2019 Italian
Grand Prix and the other at the
2020 French Grand Prix for a
total of 10 podiums. He raced for
Ducati in MotoGP from 2015 to
2020, one season with KTM in
2021 and a one-off appearance
with Suzuki in 2022.
"I'm really pleased to be back
with Barni," Petrucci said. "2011
was one of my best-ever sea-
sons but, more importantly, I
couldn't say no to the chance
to race in World Superbike with
such a competitive bike. It's a
championship in which I've never
competed, and I can't wait to
measure up against the competi-
tion. I want to thank the entire
Barni team for giving me this
opportunity and everybody that
has contributed to making this
agreement possible."
HSBK Racing has not yet con-
firmed who will be Petrucci's re-
placement in their MotoAmerica
Superbike squad for 2023.
CN
VOLUME 59 ISSUE 48 NOVEMBER 29, 2022 P25
One and done. Danilo Petrucci
heads back to Europe and a new
adventure in WorldSBK for 2023.
