Danilo Petrucci goes to the Dakar Rally
After ten seasons, Danilo Petrucci says goodbye to the asphalt. The MotoGP rider will compete for KTM during the 2022 Dakar Rally. The 31-year-old Italian has experience in enduro and motocross but not in competition. The 2022 edition of the Dakar Rally will be held in the Middle East for the third year in a row.
Danilo Petrucci:
“For me it really is a dream come true to participate in the Dakar Rally. It's an event I've always wanted to do since I was a kid and watching video tapes of the Dakar Rally from the '80s and '90s. Now, thanks to KTM, this dream is coming true. First of all I would like to thank KTM for this great opportunity; I think I will be the only rider to have competed in the MotoGP and then the Dakar Rally in just over a month – so I go there with a lot of pride. My main goal is to finish the race and enjoy it. The first approach was road book training with Jordi, he has competed in the race many times and finished on the podium, so he has been great in helping me learn these special tricks. I recently rode the KTM 450 RALLY for the first time during an initial test in the dunes of Dubai where I was with the Dakar champions from KTM and was able to learn a lot from them – it was great to see them riding and them were super friendly and helpful to me. I hope the training in the next month will be enough; It will definitely be a tough race, but I'm looking forward to it.”
Pit Beirer:
“Danilo's talent and character mean he is one of the few guys at elite level who we believe can make this radical transition from the asphalt to the dunes. It's a great story for a great guy. We would like to thank him for his professionalism and all his efforts as part of the Tech3 team in our MotoGP project and now it is time for a different 'world'!”
Door: Steven van Kempen/KEMCO
Photos: KTM/Polarity Photo
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