Former MotoGP rider Danilo Petrucci: “It’s very difficult to sleep after a race. Once the race is over, you shouldn’t watch anything else, because otherwise your brain will keep working. You fall asleep and dream about the racing moments. I like to jump in the middle of the night.”

Danilo Petrucci is facing one of the most intense moments of his sports career. After three years with Ducati, the Italian rider, currently competing in the World SBK Championship, is preparing for an important change in 2026 that will protect BMW’s interests in the official team. The former MotoGP rider will take the seat vacated by Toprak Razgatlioglu and share the garage with Portuguese Miguel Oliveira, a duo that promises to make headlines in the championship.

In a recent interview with Moto.it, Petrucci delved into how he experiences competition both emotionally and physically, admitting that racing takes a huge toll on him even when the paddock lights are off. “It’s very difficult to sleep after a race. Once the race is over, you shouldn’t watch anything else, because otherwise your brain will continue to work. I fall asleep and dream about the moments of the race, or I jump in the middle of the night,” confesses the pilot, recognizing the difficulty of disconnecting after a hard day.

The Terni native is already looking ahead to 2026 and claims he is particularly inspired by the new challenge. “I’m very motivated. It’s a mixture of joy, worry, nervousness, happiness, curiosity… I don’t think there’s been a day that goes by that I don’t imagine the moment I get on the bike and go into first gear. I dream about it almost every night2,” he explained. The Italian also highlighted the level of the championship and his future teammates. “Oliveira is a great guy and a very good rider.” And he also has some very strong competitors, including Nicolo Brega and Ducati. ”

Petrucci spoke emphatically about Brega. “This year he has proven to be very strong and is a real phenomenon. I think he will arrive in MotoGP very soon, because he deserves it.” The Italian did not hesitate to put both the Italian champion and Toprak among the drivers capable of winning races in the premier class.