Danilo Petrucci will start Sunday's Valencia MotoGP seaღson finale from fourth on the grid after dodging a fiery incident in final practice.

As the Pramac rider pulle⛎d up for a practice start at the end of FP4, flames could be seen l🃏icking from the side of his GP18.

Or at least the flames could be seen by the fans and mars🉐hals...

"Unfortunately the fairing🎃 was a little bit too close to the exhaust and when I tried the practice start I could see everyone waving at me. So I [waved back], then they said 'look, look' and the bike was on fire! So they were not cheering at me," smiled Petrucci.

"I got the bike back for qualifying. I used the other bike for safety, but it was not a big proble🧔m.

"Anyway, I'm happy to be here [fourth]," adde꧂d the Italian, who had been quickest in the fully wet FP2 and FP3 sessions, before lapping just 0.1s from pole in a dry qualifying.

"I expected something more, but you never know when the track swit💙ches from wet to dry, sometimes you find some surprises.

"But I'm really confident. I'm pushing really 110%. Especially from this morning I'🐽m risking a little bit more compared to the other races because I have nothing to lose tomorrow."

Petrucci is 🐭prepared to take a risk in order to try and bridge the five-point gap to top satellite rival Johann Zarco, who will start eleventh on the grid after a fall in qualifying.

Zarco is in-turn tied on points with Alex Rins, which means Petrucci is one of the riders in with a chance of snatching fifth in the world championship, before stepping up to the factory Ducat๊i team.

"I have nothing to lose, but for sure I want to finish and have a good race," Petrucci said. "Then, looking at the 🍷points, its Johann that has to take care because for me the most important thing is 🔯the top Independent, even if fifth [in the title] is interesting.

"But I have to recover five points and it's a lot. So I have to risk something because if Johann is clever he can just ღstay close behind me and it's enough.

"Also, I don’t know the track conditions tomorrow and as always there are many, many riders rꦉeady to fight for the victoꦑry.

"We are one of them, but I think Marc, Vinales, Rins, Iannone, Dovizioso - there are many names - can fight for theꦗ podium in every weather condition.

"So as always theꦕre are too many riders f𒅌or the podium places.

"The best thing is that I don’t have to go to bed thinking, 'will꧂ it rain or not?' because every condition will be good for me. I'm quite relaxed that it could be a good race."