New works Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci says there are “10 riders who can fight for the podium” in the 2019 MotoGP season-opener in Qatar this weekend.
With the final pre-season test taking place at the Losail circuit, the Qatar Grand Prix is typically one of the closest races of the season, with last year's event marking the third closest top 15 in history at 23.287 seconds.
At the end of last week's Qatar test, the top 15 on the combined timesheets were split by just under a second, with Petrucci expecting “all the factory guys” and a handful of satellite riders to be in the rostrum fight this Sunday.
“It's about 10 riders, I think,” Petrucci said when asked who his main challengers will be in the opening races of the year.
“This race is very very crucial because there is a big expectation always every year; it's like the world championship starts and finishes here.
“In fact, the first day [of the test] we were so fast, and in the third day the challenger were very, very fast.
“So will be a very, very fast [race]. But I think all the factory guys, also [Franco] Morbidelli and [Fabio] Quartararo, and I think also Cal [Crutchlow].
“But all the factory guys means already eight riders, [so] there are 10 riders who can fight for the podium.”
Petrucci will make his debut as a factory Ducati rider this Sunday after three years with the customer Pramac squad, and has set his sights on the podium.
The Italian was one of the only riders to complete a full race simulation on the final day of testing, and feels he has let “everyone see my potential”.
“I hope to fight for the top position, this is my target,” he added.
“For sure I think I was the only one to do a race simulation on the final day [of testing], so I discovered my cards, I let everyone see my potential.
“It's not the reality 100 percent, but I want to fight for the podium for sure.”
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