But the Italian ultimately declined the offer in order to focus on his🅺 MotoAme🌃rica title challenge with Ducati.

“I will most likely be at Misano [as a spectator], but not on the Suzuki,” double MotoGP race winner Petrucci told . “I talked to Ducati, I💙 thought about it all night, but my priority remains MotoAmerica.”

Petrucci is currently locked in a close championship battle with reigning M♉otoAmerica champion ꦓJake Gagne, who is just one point ahead of the Italian with two rounds remaining.

Suzuki must ‘make every reasonable effort to provide a substitute rider’

Mir has been forced out of next weekend’s event after suffering bone and ligament injuries to his right ankle in a huge opening l𓄧ap highside at the Red Bull Ring.

The MotoGP rules state that teams must ‘make every reasonable effort to provide a qualified subst⛄itute rღider… within 10 days of withdrawal’.

That would normally mean simply calling up Suzuki test rider Sylvain Guintoli, who has ma♎de ten MotoGP appearances on the GSX-RR in recent years.

But the Frenchman is als🙈o unavailable, having injured his hand in preparation for the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race.

While there are plenty of riders that would no doubt like to r🦩ace a factory MotoGP bike, there are very few that are qualified to do so.

Firstly, substitutes are 'subject to approvꦆal by the Selection Committee’, a rule that was brought in after Avintia Ducati named CEV Superbike rider Christophe Ponsson as a surprise replacement for the 2018 Misano round.

Th🧜en, in order to take part in MotoGP qualifying, a replacement - like all riders - must set a lap time within 105% of the top duri🅺ng one of the four Free Practice sessions.

Both criteria favour those with previous MotoGP experience, but with Guintoli unavailable and a replacement technically needed, Suzuki has been forced to cast a widerౠ net.

A World Superbike or top Moto2 rider could be a viable option, wit✤h Garrett Gerloff and Jake Dixon doing༺ a solid stand-in job for Yamaha last season.

But in Suzuki's case, all of the WorldSBK frontrunners ๊are ⛄contracted to rival factories.

Meanwhile, most Moto2 riders, aside from having their𒆙 own championships to consider, have no experience of a larger 1000cc machine - let alone the unique tyres, electrജonics, ride-height devices and carbon brakes of a MotoGP prototype.

Dixon stands out from the Moto2 pack due to his previous Petronas Yamaha rides and other big-bike experience in BSB, but a Suzuki ride would halt his current rise up the Moto2 championship table, after podiums in&ဣnbsp;the last three rounds for Aspar.

Instead, GPOne names young Italian Axel Bassani as next on the list (after Petrucci) at Suzuki. Bassini is seventh in the WorldSBK standings with a best finish of fourth this season for🌳 the Motocorsa Ducati team. 

But some suggest that - with Guintoli injured and Petrucci declining the chance - Suzuki has made a 'reasonable effort' and should be allowed to enter just a single bike♔ for Alex Rins at Misano.