Lockdown days: MotoGP rider Petrucci controls diet

Danilo Petrucci is respecting the mandatory isolation measure in home at Terni.

Bengaluru, April 4: The 2020 FIM MotoGP World Championship season was supposed to begin on March 8 under lights at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

Unfortunately, at the same time in Europe, the coronavirus (COVID-19) started to spread, stopping not just the sporting world but also whole countries, like Italy, which was one of the worst-affected nations by the virus.

A mandatory isolation period has been introduced by the Italian government to stop the spread of the virus which was later declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation and Ducati MotoGP rider Danilo Petrucci is respecting the measure at his house in Terni.

"For sure spending so much time at home, staying away from our friends is not the ideal situation. But at this time it is the only way that we've to solve this problem together.

By staying at home following the instructions that are given us by the government, we can help each other. The situation is difficult, but it can only improve if we endure it a little bit more," Petrucci told Ducati Media in a freewheeling interview.

The 29-year-old also explained how he is spending these days at home, "I'm trying to use this time to solve some physical issues, like the problem I had at my shoulder last year in Valencia and some that I've in a leg. I'm doing some physiotherapy at home, some light training and also focusing on my diet".

Missing Dovizioso

Of course, during these days of lockdown, Petrucci does not have the chance to train on a bike, and he declared that what he is missing the most is doing motocross with his team-mamate Andrea Dovizioso.

"I hear Andrea nearly every day, and we text each other a lot. In these days, I miss the most doing motocross with him and training together, also because right now I can't really ride anything!"

Ducati duo

The last time the Ducati duo were able to sit on the Desmosedici GP20 bikes was more than a month ago, during the final winter test that was held in Qatar from February 22 to 24.

"I was delighted with the test at Losail. I think I was one of the few riders that covered the whole distance in the race simulation by completing 22 laps. The bike is an evolution of the previous year, but the big difference now is the tyres. We worked a lot on trying to adjust the bike setup and the riding style".

Goals for season

Speaking about the future, Petrucci declared his goals for the 2020 season and his expectations from the championship, now that the new calendar has tightened up towards the end of the season.

"This is my second year with the Ducati Team, and I'm proud of it. This year I would like to improve my performance compared to last season. In 2019 I got my first win in MotoGP, and I was able to fight for the third position in the standings until there were two races to go."

Demanding calendar

"This year I want to fight for that placement during the whole championship. For sure, this season will be a surprise for everybody. We aren't used to such an intense programme!

The calendar is extremely tight, especially in the last months, so we need to do a good mental and physical preparation and try to rest now because then we won't have time. Honestly, I can't wait to face this demanding calendar!"