Following a pair of sixth places to start his factory Ducati team career, Danilo Petrucci is confident of bettering his previous COTA high of eighth in this weekend's Austin MotoGP.
"I think our potential in Texas is higher than in the past, even though COTA is still a difficult track for us theoretically, as it features many tight, Formula-1-style corners and bumps that make it trickier to find the right setup," said the Italian.
"However, in Argentina, another tough circuit for us, we reacted well despite the fact that our weekend didn't begin in the most ideal way.
"In general, we struggle more than others under acceleration at high lean angles because of my weight, but we're improving in terms of tyre consumption.
"I want to further optimise how I manage the race as well, and to this end it'll be crucial to start further ahead on the grid. We'll need to work hard to fight for the top five once again, but I'm confident."
Petrucci is fifth in the early MotoGP world championship standings, with team-mate Andrea Dovizioso second to Marc Marquez.
