The 2020 MotoGP Season was supposed to begin nearly one month ago in Qatar for the Ducati Team, where just a few weeks earlier they had completed the last MotoGP pre-season test. Unfortunately, at the same time in Europe, the Covid-19 started to spread, stopping not just the sporting world but also whole countries, like Italy, which is one of the worst-affected nations by the virus.

A mandatory isolation period has been introduced by the Italian government to stop the spread of the virus, and of course, also Danilo Petrucci is respecting the measure in his house in Terni. 

Q. How are you finding it in lockdown, Danilo?

 A. For sure spending so much time at home, staying away from our friends is not the ideal situation. But at this time it is the only way that we have to solve this problem together. By staying at home following the instructions that are given us by the government, we can help each other. The situation is difficult, but it can only improve if we endure it a little bit more.

Q. How do you spend your days at home?

A. I am trying to use this time to solve some physical issues, like the problem I had at my shoulder last year in Valencia and some that I have in a leg. I am doing some physiotherapy at home, some light training and I am also focusing on my diet.

Q. What do you miss most during lockdown now that you don’t have the chance to train on a bike?

A. Doing motocross with my teammate Andrea Dovizioso. I hear Andrea nearly every day, and we text each other a lot. In these days, I miss the most doing motocross with him and training together, also because right now I can’t really ride anything!

Q. What does the future hold?

A. This is my second year with the Ducati Team, and I am proud of it. This year I would like to improve my performance compared to last season. In 2019 I got my first win in MotoGP, and I was able to fight for the third position in the standings until there were two races to go. This year I want to fight for that placement during the whole championship. For sure, this season will be a surprise for everybody. We are not used to such an intense programme. The calendar is extremely tight, especially in the last months, so we need to do a good mental and physical preparation and try to rest now because then we won’t have time. Honestly, I can’t wait to face this demanding calendar.

Watch the whole interview on the Ducati Corse Instagram and Twitter accounts.