Petrucci: Camel back? I need a whole camel!

Danilo Petrucci is one of the funniest riders in MotoGP and he was as witty as ever when discussing his sweat and weight issues during the scorching test sessions in Malaysia and Thailand…

Does he use a Camel Back drink system?

"Usually during testing, no. Maybe I will need here in Thailand because I sweat a lot. I sweat like three riders! I don't need a camel back, I need a whole camel on my back!"

Training in a sauna to prepare for hot conditions…

"The first time you feel like you've died, then it gets better… So I train for these conditions, but on the bike it's quite different."

Did you feel pressure to lose weight this winter?

"No. It’s my decision. I did everything by myself. On the rankings it's written 'Petrucci' not 'Guidotti', 'Ciabatti' or 'Romagnoli'. So it's my business!"

Leathers + Sweat + Airbag system = 14kg

"I've been with Rev'It for many years and they do a very, very good job. This year we have to [incorporate] the Alpinestars airbag system.

"In Sepang, especially the torso part, was full of things! You have the underwear, then the liner inside, then the airbag, then the suit. It's like you are wearing a Jacket… In Malaysia!

"It's quite hard for me because I sweat a lot and I don’t like so much the heat. So we are working to make the leathers cooler. I'll try a suit without the inside liner and I hope the air circulation is better.

"Just because I was curious, I weighed myself naked in Malaysia and I was 77kg. Then my weight with the wet leathers was 91kg! At least 3-4kg is from sweat and I think 2-3 kilos from the new airbag.

"I tried to lose a lot of kilos over the winter and when I saw the weight of the wet suit with the airbag, I thought, 'No! Why!' But I'm not the only one in this situation."

The life of a MotoGP rider…

"I'm always fighting between it's quite a hard life and it's my dream. I'm always saying to myself, 'okay, it's hard sometimes, but never forget at least 3 billion people in the world want to do your job!'

"So I consider myself very, very lucky.

"It's difficult sometimes, but we are doing a job that is only for 24 people in the whole world. It's an honour."

Getting hold of a camel would certainly be a possibility at this weekend's Qatar test, although fortunately for Petrucci the dusk testing time means temperatures should be lower than at Sepang and Buriram...