MotoGP: Petrucci could risk GP17 chance for wet weather win

Danilo Petrucci has said he could be willing to risk losing the option of a factory Ducati GP17 for next year if he’s presented with an opportunity to become MotoGP’s tenth winner this season in Sunday’s race at Valencia.

While a dry win is an unlikely scenario for the Italian, he is a rider known for his wet weather prowess having led wet races in Assen and Sachsenring this year in addition to his second place at Silverstone in 2015.

With 16 points over team-mate Redding in Pramac’s intra-team fight for Ducati’s third GP17, Petrucci looks almost certain to be riding the factory bike next year. However, speaking to the press in Valencia on Thursday he said he might be willing to risk losing out to Redding in order to clinch his maiden MotoGP victory should the chance arise on Sunday.

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“For sure, I really want to win but I have to watch Scott this weekend,” he said. “If he is in tenth position and I have the chance to win I will try to win, even if he is second we have to try. If we have this opportunity I do not know, it could be my first victory in MotoGP but I am fighting to get a factory bike for next year, so I’d have to choose between the egg today and the chicken tomorrow! 

“But we will see, it is a long time until Sunday. First we have to do our work and arrive on Sunday focussed and confident, this is the main thing I want.”

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