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Danilo Petrucci BMW WorldSBK comments make for worrying MotoGP brand comparisons
Grip issues plagued Danilo Petrucci at the Dutch WorldSBK, leading to disappointing races after a promising Superpole.
Danilo Petrucci has complained of grip issues with the BMW WorldSBK machine in comments that are clearly reminiscent of those from the riders of MotoGP’s struggling factories in recent years.
The Italian’s weekend seemed to be going well at the Dutch Round, Petrucci qualifying on the second row after being the leading non-Ducati rider in both sessions on Friday.
But the factory BMW rider was worse in the races, finishing 18th in Race 1 after a botched long lap penalty incurred for a jump start he disagreed with, before taking seventh in the Superpole Race and ninth in Race 2.
Petrucci explained afterwards that he can ride well when alone, but in a race situation he loses out in key areas that make it hard for him to overtake.
“When I’m riding alone I can do my lines and do my style and it’s good, but when I’m with the others mainly I lose on acceleration and I gain on braking, but this means that it’s difficult to overtake for me,” Danilo Petrucci told WorldSBK.com after Race 2 in Assen in comments that sound especially similar to complaints from Yamaha and, to an extent, Honda riders in MotoGP from recent years.
Both brands have experienced issues in race scenarios in the premier class in recent years relating to their ability to race well. Overall performance has also been underwhelming from both at times, but even when Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo was able to start from pole position in 2025 he was usually quickly shuffled back in the pack as a combination of a lack of engine power and poor rear grip led to insufficient acceleration to be able to defend from others’ overtakes.
Rear grip was the problem, in general, for Petrucci with the BMW at the Dutch World Superbike round, especially later in the races as the tyres wore.
“Sincerely, after Superpole we expected a little bit more,” he said. “But we are facing some trouble, especially going out of the corner.
“When we have a really grippy rear tyre, like in Superpole, the bike is working good, but then lap after lap, when we are missing some grip, some traction, the bike starts to be really unstable.
“[In Race 2] we ended up finishing the rear tyre, then also the front tyre – the last three laps the situation was really difficult and I have been passed also by Locatelli in the last lap.
“But we are still working a lot on the electronics and also on the setup of the bike, trying to find something more, especially because we are so good on straight braking, but then […] when we lean the bike and we have to brake it’s difficult.
“So, we have to work, I think, on acceleration because the bike spins a lot, and when the bike doesn’t spin it wheelies and lifts the front.
“But we knew this track was difficult for us, but I think step-by-step we are coming closer, but the top-six riders were a little bit too far.”
On the positive side for Petrucci, the next round at Balaton Park is one he thinks will suit the BMW better.
“The next race is Balaton, it’s a hard-braking track, so I’m quite confident we can be good because last year the bike was really good there,” he said.
“So, I’m confident that the next two rounds can be also positive, also Most.
“I think Most, also regarding myself, I did a lot of podiums in the previous years, I don’t remember how many, but I was always fighting good there and the bike was really working good, the BMW, so I think for the next two rounds we can look at the positive side of us.”
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2026 Dutch WorldSBK, Assen – Race 1 Results
2026 Dutch WorldSBK, Assen – Superpole Qualifying Results
2026 Dutch WorldSBK, Assen – Final Practice Results
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Grip issues plagued Danilo Petrucci at the Dutch WorldSBK, leading to disappointing races after a promising Superpole.
Danilo Petrucci has complained of grip issues with the BMW WorldSBK machine in comments that are clearly reminiscent of those from the riders of MotoGP’s struggling factories in recent years.
The Italian’s weekend seemed to be going well at the Dutch Round, Petrucci qualifying on the second row after being the leading non-Ducati rider in both sessions on Friday.
But the factory BMW rider was worse in the races, finishing 18th in Race 1 after a botched long lap penalty incurred for a jump start he disagreed with, before taking seventh in the Superpole Race and ninth in Race 2.
Petrucci explained afterwards that he can ride well when alone, but in a race situation he loses out in key areas that make it hard for him to overtake.
“When I’m riding alone I can do my lines and do my style and it’s good, but when I’m with the others mainly I lose on acceleration and I gain on braking, but this means that it’s difficult to overtake for me,” Danilo Petrucci told WorldSBK.com after Race 2 in Assen in comments that sound especially similar to complaints from Yamaha and, to an extent, Honda riders in MotoGP from recent years.
Both brands have experienced issues in race scenarios in the premier class in recent years relating to their ability to race well. Overall performance has also been underwhelming from both at times, but even when Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo was able to start from pole position in 2025 he was usually quickly shuffled back in the pack as a combination of a lack of engine power and poor rear grip led to insufficient acceleration to be able to defend from others’ overtakes.
Rear grip was the problem, in general, for Petrucci with the BMW at the Dutch World Superbike round, especially later in the races as the tyres wore.
“Sincerely, after Superpole we expected a little bit more,” he said. “But we are facing some trouble, especially going out of the corner.
“When we have a really grippy rear tyre, like in Superpole, the bike is working good, but then lap after lap, when we are missing some grip, some traction, the bike starts to be really unstable.
“[In Race 2] we ended up finishing the rear tyre, then also the front tyre – the last three laps the situation was really difficult and I have been passed also by Locatelli in the last lap.
“But we are still working a lot on the electronics and also on the setup of the bike, trying to find something more, especially because we are so good on straight braking, but then […] when we lean the bike and we have to brake it’s difficult.
“So, we have to work, I think, on acceleration because the bike spins a lot, and when the bike doesn’t spin it wheelies and lifts the front.
“But we knew this track was difficult for us, but I think step-by-step we are coming closer, but the top-six riders were a little bit too far.”
On the positive side for Petrucci, the next round at Balaton Park is one he thinks will suit the BMW better.
“The next race is Balaton, it’s a hard-braking track, so I’m quite confident we can be good because last year the bike was really good there,” he said.
“So, I’m confident that the next two rounds can be also positive, also Most.
“I think Most, also regarding myself, I did a lot of podiums in the previous years, I don’t remember how many, but I was always fighting good there and the bike was really working good, the BMW, so I think for the next two rounds we can look at the positive side of us.”
Danilo Petrucci has complained of grip issues with the BMW WorldSBK machine in comments that are clearly reminiscent of those from the riders of MotoGP’s struggling factories in recent years.
The Italian’s weekend seemed to be going well at the Dutch Round, Petrucci qualifying on the second row after being the leading non-Ducati rider in both sessions on Friday.
But the factory BMW rider was worse in the races, finishing 18th in Race 1 after a botched long lap penalty incurred for a jump start he disagreed with, before taking seventh in the Superpole Race and ninth in Race 2.
Petrucci explained afterwards that he can ride well when alone, but in a race situation he loses out in key areas that make it hard for him to overtake.
“When I’m riding alone I can do my lines and do my style and it’s good, but when I’m with the others mainly I lose on acceleration and I gain on braking, but this means that it’s difficult to overtake for me,” Danilo Petrucci told WorldSBK.com after Race 2 in Assen in comments that sound especially similar to complaints from Yamaha and, to an extent, Honda riders in MotoGP from recent years.
Both brands have experienced issues in race scenarios in the premier class in recent years relating to their ability to race well. Overall performance has also been underwhelming from both at times, but even when Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo was able to start from pole position in 2025 he was usually quickly shuffled back in the pack as a combination of a lack of engine power and poor rear grip led to insufficient acceleration to be able to defend from others’ overtakes.
Rear grip was the problem, in general, for Petrucci with the BMW at the Dutch World Superbike round, especially later in the races as the tyres wore.
“Sincerely, after Superpole we expected a little bit more,” he said. “But we are facing some trouble, especially going out of the corner.
“When we have a really grippy rear tyre, like in Superpole, the bike is working good, but then lap after lap, when we are missing some grip, some traction, the bike starts to be really unstable.
“[In Race 2] we ended up finishing the rear tyre, then also the front tyre – the last three laps the situation was really difficult and I have been passed also by Locatelli in the last lap.
“But we are still working a lot on the electronics and also on the setup of the bike, trying to find something more, especially because we are so good on straight braking, but then […] when we lean the bike and we have to brake it’s difficult.
“So, we have to work, I think, on acceleration because the bike spins a lot, and when the bike doesn’t spin it wheelies and lifts the front.
“But we knew this track was difficult for us, but I think step-by-step we are coming closer, but the top-six riders were a little bit too far.”
On the positive side for Petrucci, the next round at Balaton Park is one he thinks will suit the BMW better.
“The next race is Balaton, it’s a hard-braking track, so I’m quite confident we can be good because last year the bike was really good there,” he said.
“So, I’m confident that the next two rounds can be also positive, also Most.
“I think Most, also regarding myself, I did a lot of podiums in the previous years, I don’t remember how many, but I was always fighting good there and the bike was really working good, the BMW, so I think for the next two rounds we can look at the positive side of us.”
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