Second-placed Danilo Petrucci says he made a “big reset” ahead of MotoGP Australian Grand Prix Friday practice after enduring a “nightmare” Motegi race.
Petrucci was left ruing “two big mistakes” in the opening stages of last week's Motegi race, and could do no better than a distant ninth aboard his Pramac Ducati GP18.
Friday at Phillip Island proved much more positive for the Italian, who was second-fastest overall and just over a tenth from pacesetter Andrea Iannone on the Suzuki.
Petrucci believes in Japan he and the team were working “too much” on bike set-up, and decided to run a base setting “from many races ago” at Phillip Island, trying to “compensate” with his riding style in order to find speed.
He said: “We are quite happy. We start, we had a big reset compared to last race, because for me in Japan it was a disaster.
“I made two big mistakes, then my race was over in the beginning. Anyway, I say we are working too much on the bike and in Phillip Island I want to ride the bike and try to compensate by the riding style and not by the set-up.
“In the end, for sure it works. I follow [Maverick] Vinales in the flying lap, but I was fast even with the used tyre.
“So I'm happy for today, even because we haven't touched the bike and we start with the base from many races ago, and it works.
“For sure, on the race distance will be tough, but for today we have to take this.”
Petrucci says it is likely he will not alter the set-up of his GP18 much once again on Saturday, and will instead try some “new parts”.
“We have some parts that we can change, because Phillip Island is a track that needs something different compared to the other ones.
“So we have some new parts, but for the set-up I think more or less we will be there. I want to focus on my riding style and fix the problem with riding, and we'll see.
“But for today I think it works, but I am a little bit scared about race distance, even if with used tyres I have been quite fast.”
