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Petrucci says he has an offer from Aprilia

ByAutoSport

Published 17/05/2018 at 14:33 GMT

Danilo Petrucci says he has a contract offer from the Aprilia MotoGP team, but he reckons he is among several riders having to wait for the outcome of Andrea Dovizioso's Ducati talks.

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

Petrucci, who has competed for Pramac Ducati since arriving in MotoGP in 2015, is holding out hope for a works team promotion, with Ducati known to have an option on his services and yet to commit to a 2019 line-up.
But the Italian has also been linked with Aprilia and when asked by Autosport ahead of the French Grand Prix whether he had an Aprilia offer on the table, Petrucci said "yes".
"There are not so many factory places available at the moment - only Ducati and Aprilia are still waiting," he added.
"We are talking with Ducati, but in this moment, the first thing they have to solve is the Dovizioso deal.
"My dream, my target is to go in the [Ducati] factory team, because I have been with Ducati since four years.
"I'm giving my best, in and out the track. If it's enough, I will be happy, if not, I am at least happy because I say 'OK, I am not enough for a factory team'."
Petrucci believes the ongoing talks between Ducati and Dovizioso have impacted not only his future, but also those of his team-mate Jack Miller, Ducati works rider Jorge Lorenzo, Suzuki's Andrea Iannone and Honda's Dani Pedrosa.
"After Dovizioso chooses his future, then even the other riders - I think, me, Iannone, Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Miller, we move after Dovizioso chooses what he [will] do.
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"Because at the moment everyone's stopping, waiting for Dovi. I am in good company."
Aprilia announced a two-year extension for Aleix Espargaro earlier on Thursday, but the fate of the remaining seat - currently occupied by Scott Redding - remains up in the air.
Petrucci argued it was "really stupid" that MotoGP factories have been looking to commit to multi-year deals this early in the season, and he appeared to suggest that his former Pramac team-mate Redding was already resigned to losing his ride.
"It's a really stupid thing, to choose the rider for the next three seasons - because there is more than half of the season [to go]," he said.
"For example, my ex-team-mate, Scott, what is his motivation, that he already knows he's out of his team.
"I don't understand which is the reason to choose the rider at the second race or at the third race."
Redding said earlier his month he was wary he'd run out of time to impress Aprilia - but, speaking after Petrucci at Le Mans, he refuted the suggestion he was guaranteed to lose the ride.
Asked by Autosport whether he still had a chance to stay, he said: "There's no second signed contract out there [with another rider], I believe that hand on heart today.
"Tomorrow, could be. But as of today there's no done deal on their side."
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