Petrucci makes 2019 crew-chief choice

Danilo Petrucci will not fly the nest alone. On Thursday the Italian revealed current crew-chief Daniele Romagnoli will move to work alongside him in Ducati’s factory squad in 2019.

Romagnoli has worked with Petrucci since the multiple MotoGP podium finisher came into the Pramac Ducati fold four and a half years ago. From there, the former European Superstock and CRT runner has become a regular top six finisher.

Upon learning of his promotion to the factory seat after Jorge Lorenzo’s decision to leave for Repsol Honda, Petrucci requested that Romagnoli’s remained in his corner. His electronics engineer Cristian Battaglia will also move up from the satellite Pramac squad.

Rumours on Thursday hinted Lorenzo’s crew chief Cristian Gabarrini could move in the opposite direction to work alongside 2019 MotoGP rookie and current Moto2 championship leader Francesco Bagnaia.

“It was a thing that I asked for,” said Petrucci. “I will be with Daniele Romagnoli for next year and it will be the fifth year with him – more years than Cal because he was the previous crew-chief of Cal [Crutchlow].

“He’s a very good guy. He will join the factory team for the second time, after [doing so with] Cal in 2014. I will bring my data engineer Cristian Battaglia. He was first in Yamaha then Honda and after Ducati.

“I will have at least the people closest to me, who I talk most with in the session, for the electronics and mechanical side. Even Ducati is happy about this because they’re Ducati people; it’s not external. I would like to bring all my team because we are good together. Unfortunately it’s not possible so I think it will be an extra help. They know me very well.

“Nothing has changed for next season. I’m really focussed on this season because I’ve never been as high in a championship. I want to finish this one as best as possible. I want to stay focussed.”

From the start of this year, Petrucci spoke of the need to adjust his riding style, to stress Michelin’s tyres less. Romagnoli and Battaglia have both played a role in that.

“The problem is that sometimes, especially when the races are very hot, I simply put more weight on the tyre. They can help me, Daniele with set-up and Cristian with the electronics set-up. The problem is just the physical role and that I put more weight on the tyre.

“When there is more consumption I put more G-force in the corner. Even if the riding style I changed a lot – I’m very smooth on the throttle – the bike slides more. This makes a lot of effect on the Michelins. With the Bridgestones it was less. If you remember Stoner or Pedrosa slid the rear tyre a lot.

“Now they’re different and it’s impossible to do this. For example, Dovi is very, very good for this, at not making the bike slide. It’s strange because you want to open the throttle but it’s better for the speed and the tyre consumption to manage the throttle. Sometimes it’s unnatural but it’s necessary to go faster.”

Along with the personnel move, Petrucci also revealed he broke his fifth metatarsal in a testing fall last week at the Circuit of Catalunya last Monday.

“At home I did a full examination and I’ve got a small fracture of the fifth metatarsal. My trainng routine has not been the same. I think it wont be a problem on the bike.

“Unfortunately I couldn’t go on a bike for training or running. I can walk. It’s not a big pain. It’s like I have a little stone in the shoes. When I walk it’s like I have this. Anyway, the track is not so physically demanding.”