Danilo Petrucci was signed on to race for MotoGP’s Thailand round to substitute for Joan Mir, who is still recovering from an ankle injury, and was deemed unfit to race. Petrucci, who officially retired from the premiere class at the end of the 2021 season, willingly made a one-race comeback into the premiere class aboard the Suzuki GSX-RR, which would apparently be his first time to race Japanese machinery in the MotoGP.
The Italian racer said that he was thoroughly surprised with the way the GSX-RR rode, and that it was unlike any of the Ducatis or KTMs he had ever ridden before. “This bike is so different from what I used in the previous years, not only the Ducati but also the KTM.” Indeed, the differences between the GSX-RR and Petrucci's previous Ducati and KTM machines isn’t just skin-deep, but goes all the way into the inner workings of the machines. The Suzuki GSX-RR, along with the Yamaha YZR-M1, is among the last modern-day MotoGP bikes to still use an inline-four engine.
