Following his dominant victory in wet MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two on September 11 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Danilo Petrucci was asked about his racing plans for the future. And the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC rider said becoming teammate to Alvaro Bautista on the factory Ducati World Superbike team was no longer on his list of options.

“I don’t think there is a chance,” Petrucci said when asked by Roadracingworld.com about the possibility of him becoming Bautista’s teammate in 2023. “I don’t think I’m very welcome in that team. I talk with Ducati a lot. To make a deal you have to be two people. If someone is in doubt, like them, because I am so heavy compared to Alvaro, and the bike is so different.

“It’s not time at the moment to take a decision [for the future] because I am so exhausted. I mean for me at the moment, the options are continue here [MotoAmerica], quit racing, or prepare a proper Dakar in 2024.

“Because my biggest part of the career has gone. I’m almost 32, and I spend all my life on the bike, and I just want to have fun. Here, I [had] fun even if there are some things to change, especially on the bike, because our bike is the factory bike from last year but just put the Dunlop tires in.

“I must say in the beginning it was really, really tough to ride. We arrive to Austin really, really in a bad shape. It was so, so difficult. So, we need to change [the Ducati], especially because as I told you many times this year I don’t think that we had one fight together, me and Jake racing together

“Today, I did the Jake. (laughs) The other, I don’t know, 17, 18 races I just see the back of his seat for a pair of laps and then there was nothing, not any battle between me and him. If I want to continue next year, at least I want to fight with him. Because this year I could just defend my position. He has been faster. Is not my opinion. It’s a fact.”