Petrucci's Historic Triumph: Becoming the First Independent Rider to Clinch a WorldSBK Hat-trick

Danilo Petrucci's remarkable performance at the Acerbis Italian Round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has cemented his place in the history books. The Barni Spark Racing Team rider not only secured his first WorldSBK win in Race 1 on Saturday, but he followed it up with a Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 victory on Sunday, making him the first Independent rider to achieve a hat-trick in the series.

Petrucci's Unstoppable Dominance at Cremona

Superpole Race: Petrucci's Masterful Start Paves the Way

Petrucci's dominance began in the Superpole Race, where he started from third on the grid. As the lights went out, the Italian rider executed a superb start, leapfrogging both Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to take the lead. From there, Petrucci remained uncatchable, despite using the SCQ tyre, which experienced a drop-off in the final laps. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who was on the SCX tyre, made gains to move into second, but he was unable to catch the determined Petrucci.

Race 2: Petrucci Holds Off Bautista's Charge

Petrucci's success continued in the 23-lap Race 2, where he started from pole position and led every lap. Initially, he pulled out a gap over his rivals, but he had to be prepared for a charge from Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), whose pace was quicker than Petrucci's as the race progressed. Bautista managed to get ahead of his teammate Nicolo Bulega before closing in on Petrucci, but the #9 rider held on to cross the finish line around a second ahead of the reigning champion.

A Historic Weekend for Petrucci

Petrucci's achievements at Cremona have cemented his place in the record books. He became the first Independent rider to take a hat-trick in WorldSBK, joining an elite group of only four riders to have accomplished this feat, including Bautista, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), and Toprak Razgatlioglu. Furthermore, Petrucci is only the fourth rider to win their first three races consecutively, following in the footsteps of Chris Vermeulen (2004), Ben Spies (2009), and Bautista (2019).

Petrucci's Emotional Reaction

Reflecting on his historic weekend, Petrucci expressed his pride and disbelief. "It was one of the best weekends in my career! After the first victory yesterday, I was full of emotion. I didn't expect to win the Superpole Race and Race 2. I was a little bit worried. I had a lot of opponents, especially Alvaro; I knew he would be fast at the end of the race. I was able to create a gap and he closed that gap a few tenths per lap. It's something really special. A new track, a new venue, a lot of people… I think everyone in Italy deserves this kind of day today!"

Closing the Gap in the Championship Standings

Petrucci's remarkable performance at Cremona has also had a significant impact on the championship standings. The Ducati rider now sits in fifth place with 252 points, having closed the gap to Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in fourth, with just three points separating the two riders. Petrucci is also within striking distance of the third-placed rider, the reigning champion, with 31 points separating them and three rounds remaining.As the WorldSBK circus heads to Aragon, Petrucci's historic achievement at Cremona has undoubtedly set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the season. Fans and enthusiasts alike will be eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the Italian rider's remarkable journey.