Petrucci: 70% riding style, 30% weight

Ducati has assured Danilo Petrucci that 70% of his rear-tyre overheating issues can be solved without the need to lose even more weight.

At Aragon, the Pramac rider - 14cm taller and 11kg heavier than future factory Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso - feared set-up and riding changes would not improve his grip problem and the 'big work' would be to 'lose as many kilos as possible' this winter.

Petrucci: 70% riding style, 30% weight

Ducati has assured Danilo Petrucci that 70% of his rear-tyre overheating issues can be solved without the need to lose even more weight.

At Aragon, the Pramac rider - 14cm taller and 11kg heavier than future factory Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso - feared set-up and riding changes would not improve his grip problem and the 'big work' would be to 'lose as many kilos as possible' this winter.

Petrucci's rear-tyre temperature is over 20% higher than Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo, robbing him of grip in the second-half of the race. However, further investigations by Ducati have thrown up some new ideas.

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"Tyre temperature will be an issue here, more than other races, and for me it's always an issue," Petrucci said, referring to the intense heat in Thailand.

"During these last two weeks, Ducati worked to understand the differences between me and Dovi and Jorge - who are faster than me, especially in the second half of the race - because I have the tyre very, very hot.

"As I told you in Aragon, there is a weight difference between me and the two other riders. But it's not all about the weight. They said that 70% is the riding style, 30% is the weight.

"For sure having more weight doesn't help, but they looked on the data over the whole race in Aragon and saw some small differences, especially when the tyre became hotter. And I have to work on this part. I have to use this race to understand how to ride the bike and not overheat the tyre.

"It's not easy, because I have to change many, many things from the braking. It's not work that I can do all in one race weekend, for sure, but from now we start to work for next year."

'I have to stop better the bike'

"My problem is that I go into the corner with too much speed. Especially the last part. And the problem is that the turn is the same for everyone, and I go always a little bit wide. And on acceleration, I am wider on the line,"  Petrucci explained.

"If you check all the images, you see me going into the corner on braking with much speed, and going out wide. And this is good for one lap, it's good for five laps, but for 25 laps, not so much.

"So in a few words, I have to stop better the bike.

"And then, for sure I have to change the line [through the corner], the way I pick up the bike, the way I open the throttle."

Petrucci got a clear illustration of Dovizioso's different braking while following the triple 2018 race winner at Aragon.

"When I was following him, I was almost crashing into him on braking. And if I brake late like him, for sure I would hit him. Yes, I have to stop with more weight than him, but I also have to work on the set-up and riding style.

"It will not be easy, but it's another thing that I have to do because I don't have much time to learn.

"It's a big thing to change and we are fighting for the fifth place in the championship, so we don't want to waste points or opportunities. But for next year, it's better that I understand how it's possible to ride faster in the second half of the race."

Petrucci starts this weekend's Buriram event tied on points with Cal Crutchlow (Honda) for sixth in the world championship and just eleven points behind Maverick Vinales (Yamaha) and Lorenzo.

"The [first task] will be to understand which is the good bike to choose, I mean which setup; the one from the test or the one we had in Aragon and the previous races?" said Petrucci, ninth fastest but just half-a-second from the top during February's Buriram test.

"So we have prepared two bikes, to understand which is better. We must also understand the different rear tyre."

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