Confirmation today that Danilo Petrucci will stay with the Pramac Ducati team. Already riding a Desmosedici GP17 like that used by the factory teamsters Dovizioso and Lorenzo, Petrucci’s strong performance in recent races has won him yet more approval, and a one-year renewal of his contract with the Bologna factory.

He will stay with the satellite team, in a deal similar to Cal Crutchlow’s new contract with HRC, to stay in the LCR Honda team.

Petrucci has qualified on the front row of the grid for the last three races, and finished on the podium in two of them, coming close to winning at Assen. He crashed out in Catalunya, but two other no-scores have been through mechanical failures, dropping him to seventh overall.

By Michael Scott