Danilo Petrucci has revealed that a possible 2026 switch to the WorldSBK factory Ducati team isn’t at the forefront of his mind.
The Barni Spark Racing rider is the leading independent rider after the first four rounds of the 2025 WorldSBK championship.
In 2025, he has secured two rostrum finishes and is the only satellite rider with over 100 points. With current factory riders Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista yet to sign a contract extension, Petrucci could be an ideal candidate to take one of the factory seats.
However, when speaking to the media including Motorsport Week at Cremona, Petrucci made it clear what his main focus was for the rest of the season.
“I really, really find myself really good in the team, not only with the crew,” Petrucci stated.
“Marco [Barnabo] is a really a good friend. It’s a guy who really spend all this life to arrive here, to win. We have been able to win together. We are doing a really big job.
“For sure, it will be a dream, like I did in MotoGP, to jump on a factory seat. But at the moment, since it’s not a priority, because I know that my bike is really good, but, yeah, it’s not me that I’m doing the rider market.”
Despite acknowledging that he previously was the best of the rest behind the leading trio of Toprak Razgatlioglu, Bulega, and Bautista, Petrucci remains focused on achieving the primary goal he set at the start of the season.
“But for sure, looking at last year, looking at this year, after the top three, it’s me, so we are there.
“So yeah, would be a dream to jump on a factory sheet, but at the moment, I’m really focusing to make strong strong races and the score points because we are so close from the third in the championship.”
Danilo Petrucci priortises WorldSBK success over financial gain
The Terni-born rider admitted that he already has one of the best packages on the grid, but stated that achieving results on the racetrack matters more to him than earning the big bucks with a particular team.
“So I always chose to be on the fastest bike I can have. So, yeah, it’s not a matter of money,” he said.
“It’s a matter that I want when you are a child, you want to win the World Championship.
“If you want to become rich, you go to work to make some other things, but what I’m doing here is trying to be as fast as possible.
“So for sure I know that my bike is one of the best of the grid. So I can’t complain.”
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