Danilo Petrucci hailed his Italian Grand Prix Sunday as a ‘great day’, after the Pramac rider beat compatriot Valentino Rossi to third place at Mugello.
Petrucci had shown good pace throughout practice, and was set for a maiden front row start in MotoGP before his lap time was cancelled after he was deemed to have exceeded track limits on the exit of Borgo San Lorenzo.
Disappointed about being dropped to ninth, Petrucci was confident his strong late-race pace on the Desmosedici GP17 would see him challenge for a decent result providing he could get off the line well.
Jumping up to seventh into San Donato on the opening lap, Petrucci had made his way up to fourth by the end of the fifth lap, but now found himself facing a dilemma: stick with the leaders and wait to attack on the last lap, or throw caution to the wind in his home race.
“I knew the previous races I start very, very bad, but at the end I was quite fast during the race,” Petrucci said.
“And today I know I had to to stay with the other guys in the front to do a good race. When I was fourth behind Maverick (Vinales), (Andrea) Dovizioso and Valentino I say, ‘Okay, you are fourth, wait till the last lap.’
“But after a moment I say, ‘Okay, it’s your home grand prix, (you have to) try.’”
Petrucci reeled in compatriot Rossi with 10 laps to go and scythed past into the final corner, before mugging the sister Yamaha of Vinales a lap later at the same place.
The Pramac rider tried to go after race leader Dovizioso, but in doing so he chewed up his medium rear tyre and dropped back into the clutches of Vinales, the Spaniard moving ahead of Petrucci into the first corner with four laps to go.
A quick glance behind him revealed Rossi was still close, but Petrucci maintained his position through to the chequered flag. His Italian Grand Prix third marked his first MotoGP podium in dry conditions and his first since the 2015 British Grand Prix, a result he later joked he would have sold his house for.
“I tried with Valentino and I passed him, then after one lap I passed Maverick.
“Then I say, ‘Okay, you are left with only one rider, try with Dovi.’ It was not so easy. It was very, very close, but to stay with him I finished my rear tyre.
“When Maverick passed me I looked behind, (to see) if maybe Valentino was a little bit far but he was not. But at the end, I managed to stay on the podium and it was a great day for me.
“If anyone asked me what would you give to stay on the podium for Sunday, I say, ‘Okay, I can sell my house to stay on the podium here.’”
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