Ducati tester Pirro wants more MotoGP race opportunities

Pirro, 31, has been Ducati's test rider since 2013, after contesting one full season in MotoGP in 2012 on a Gresini-run FTR-Honda.

The Italian marque has given him wildcard outings on works machinery every season, and he has also often been used as a stand-in for injured riders at satellite Ducati teams.

Pirro, who is also a regular in the Italian Superbike championship, participated in his second MotoGP weekend of the season at Misano following on from his first outing at Mugello in June.

He took ninth at the latter venue before securing fifth in a wet Misano race, matching his best-ever MotoGP result.

While he is set to race again in the season finale at Valencia, Pirro says he would be able to achieve better results for Ducati if he were to be given a more regular racing role.

"I have to ask [Ducati team boss Gigi] Dall'Igna, but I believe that if I race more consistently I could fight for important positions," said Pirro.

"Here at Misano I finished fifth, and also at Mugello I was with [Jorge] Lorenzo all race, so I can't complain about my speed.

"Racing so little is difficult. For example, in qualifying I tried to follow [Marc] Marquez, who qualified on the front row, but I made a mistake and fell and had limited chance to make the most of it afterwards."

Wet caution

Pirro admitted he took a cautious approach to the Misano race, which was the first time he had ridden in the wet for one-and-a-half years.

"It was a-year-and-a half since I last raced in the wet, because we never did a rainy test," he explained.

"We got some problems in the warm-up so I did not push too much, and maybe in the race it took me a few laps to find the rhythm.

"The only regret I have is that I don't take too many risks in the first seven or eight laps of the race because I ride in MotoGP once every three or four months.

"This cost me here [Misano] too, because I lost touch with the leader after a few laps, but then I kept my pace more or less until the end.

"Now we have to stay focused to help [Andrea] Dovizioso fight for the MotoGP title, but Marquez proved that he is the man to beat."

Additional reporting by Matteo Nugnes