After his experience with motorbikes, the rider changes genre. Petrucci assaults the desert on a truck

When, in 2022, he got off his bike amused and satisfied, Danilo Petrucci said goodbye to the Dakar with a message of affection. "It was very hard, but I will do it again".

Promise, challenge, desire for adventure, or maybe all of these together, it would certainly have been difficult to imagine how petrux would have returned to the Dakar desert. Yes, because after having participated and won a stage in that 2022 edition, riding a KTM 450 Rally, Petrucci will return to race on the crazy dirt of Arabia, in the Dakar 2025 which starts next January 3rd, but inside the cabin of a truck. Boom.

Beautiful story, that of Danilo who will be a member of the crew of theItaltrans Racing Team-Rally Division and that at the upcoming Dakar he will be driving (alternating with Claudio Bellina) truck number 608.

A truck, in fact, or rather a truck to tame, makes dunes and rocks, which in some way, brings Petrucci back to his childhood memories, when he lived on the truck (his dad's) for days and days, putting into it the desire to race, to be a driver, to win. Dad Petrucci's truck was the one that Loris Capirossi's motorcycles and box materials traveled the world with. A sign of destiny.

"I can't wait to get on board the truck and drive, together with my partner, Claudio", are the words with which Petrucci announced his extraordinary participation in the Dakar 2025.

"It's a fascinating challenge and I'm really excited to experience it a second time. For sure, on this occasion I will have a lot to learn, but I will still always give my best to get a good result."

There will be fighting, suffering and risks, but Petrucci – who in 2024 lived his season in the World Superbike aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 of the Barni team branded Bardahl – is someone who always and only loves challenges. Especially the most complicated ones.

"When I was asked to return to the Dakar - he said the day Italtrans entered him in the desert race - I didn't hesitate for a moment. This race has left me with a lot, it made me realize a unique and huge dream, that is, to run it and win a stage. And in any case, for every pilot to reach the end of a battle like this is an incredible satisfaction. I thank Prometeon for having made this unique opportunity possible".

La Dakar Rally will start from Bisha, in Saudi Arabia next January 3rd to close (always in Arabia) on the 17th with the finish line of Shubaytah. Returning to Petrucci – who on the Italtrans truck will present himself as a guide and alternatively in the role of navigator –, he is the only one in history (and here we are talking about motorcycling again) to have won a race in all the world competitions in which he has participated.

He won in MotoGp, he also won his first race in Superbike, he took home a stage of the Dakar and was also the fastest under the finish line of the MotoAmerica. Perfect poker. Now the challenge of the truck, while his former rivals, from Rossi to Lorenzo, have decided to race on four wheels with the supercars of BMW and Porsche.