Danilo Petrucci has confirmed that the Jerez round was his final appearance in the Superbike World Championship. The Italian left the Spanish weekend visibly emotional, bringing a four-season WorldSBK career to an end with three race wins and 19 podium finishes in the category’s premier class.

Petrucci’s future had been uncertain since the middle of the season, when BMW decided not to exercise a contract clause that would have kept him with the team for the following year. That decision did not automatically mean an immediate split: BMW made the same choice in Miguel Oliveira’s case and retained him. Brad Binder’s arrival at the Bavarian manufacturer, however, left Petrucci searching for a 2027 opportunity.

MotoAmerica now looks the most likely route

A move to MotoAmerica with BMW was initially one possibility, but that route has since disappeared. GoEleven Ducati then emerged as a potential way for Petrucci to remain in WorldSBK. The direction now expected to prevail is MotoAmerica with Attack Performance Yamaha, although the agreement is not presented as final and should therefore be treated as a likely next step rather than a confirmed signing.

That would keep Petrucci racing rather than end his competitive career. He had already competed in MotoAmerica after leaving MotoGP, with the aim of pursuing a world championship, before returning to road racing. His WorldSBK target was clear: he joined BMW hoping to become a world champion, but said the result did not match his ambition even though he had given everything.

Speaking after the Jerez finale, Petrucci thanked BMW and the WorldSBK paddock for their support. He described the journey as extraordinary, recalled arriving in the paddock in 2007 for Superstock 600, and noted that he had ridden for Ducati, KTM and BMW. Among his memories were his first podium, the Cremona hat-trick and becoming a factory rider. He also said that winning in MotoGP, winning the Dakar and later returning to asphalt racing made the story especially meaningful.

Petrucci said his greatest victory was being able to tell that story. The reception at Jerez reinforced that feeling: he recalled needing around 15 minutes to cross the pit lane because so many people stopped to tell him they would miss him. “If there was a rider like me when I was a child, I would be my idol,” he said, capturing the pride behind an emotional farewell even as the world title he wanted remained out of reach.