Fuel consumption puts Petrucci on low power

MotoGP riders struggling with fuel consumption has been rare since tank size was increased from 20 (for the leading manufacturers) to 22 litres (all competitors) at the start of last season.

But Pramac's Danilo Petrucci revealed he had to switch to the lowest power map on his Ducati GP17 after just '7-8 laps' of Sunday's 25-lap grand prix in Argentina.

"The beginning of the race was very good and I managed to stay [in fourth] between Valentino and Pedrosa," Petrucci explained. "The only problem was that my fuel consumption was too high and after seven-eight laps I had to switch to the lowest power map.

"On the straight everybody came past, but I've got a really good bike on braking. So corner five [end of back straight], even if I was on the outside, I managed to brake harder.

"Then after half the race I started to struggle with the rear tyre, especially on the edge. On drive, I had no traction and in the last ten laps I lost about one-second per lap, so I cannot stay in front of Folger.

"Anyway it was a good race and I'm happy because the bike worked all weekend, it's the first time the bike works for three days, and it means we are working good. Now we have to fix something because still our rear tyre management is not so good and I have to improve in that part and even the bike."

Petrucci isn't sure why his fuel and tyre consumption was so high, but riding style and a decision to use the hardest rear tyre (allowing more wheel spin) are likely suspects. Factory Ducati stars Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo had opted for the medium rear, although neither finished the race due to incidents with other riders

"My [tyre] choice was different compared to the factory guys but we have still to understand why our fuel and tyre consumption is too high. For sure 50% of this is my riding style and maybe the other 50% is set-up, electronics and rear tyre choice."

"I expected more riders with the hard tyre and maybe with the medium I could have stayed at the front at the beginning. Anyway I'm happy. I said on Thursday that I wanted to finish in the top eight.

"I have been a little bit lucky because Marquez and Pedrosa crashed in front of me and I was fighting with Espargaro and Dovizioso [when they collided] - maybe with the other tyre they would have been faster at the end. Now we are focussing on Austin."

Third place Cal Crutchlow also spoke of having to back off during the race due to a mystery warning light on his LCR Honda. The Englishman wouldn't confirm what the light was for, but might it also have been fuel consumption?

"I had to manage a situation which I knew I would have to manage... I could push to come across to [leader] Maverick, but the likelihood of finishing the race was quite unlikely," Crutchlow had said.

"So when Vale came past, I actually found it quite easy to follow him, but I had to give him a bit of a gap to make sure I finished. Then I brought the bike home. I could do easily low 1'40s, probably 39s in the last three laps, but whether I finished or not was another story. So I just did mid-to-high 1'40s.

"[The problem] is probably likely to reappear, to be honest, but I hope we're able to fix it a little bit more soon. "

Engine overheating is another possibility for the symptoms Crutchlow described, but race day was much cooler than practice.