MotoGP, Dovizioso: in qualifying I raised my voice

With each race that passes, more doubt is removed for Dovizioso and Ducati. Even the Misano curse, a track where Andrea had never done well in qualifying, has been lifted: “If I managed to start from the second spot here, it means that there is really a lot of substance”, the Italian jokes.

Naturally, Dovi can smile, well-aware that he is once again at the same level as his best rivals and that he is ready to do battle.

“But I am a bit surprised by these qualifiers - he admits - Until FP4 I wasn’t feeling entirely at ease in the saddle. I was unable to play with the bike and then I put on the soft tyre and I realized straight away that I could do a good time.”

And that is how it went. Now you need to start thinking about tomorrow…
“But to be honest, I’m not. The only sure thing is that we will have very particular weather conditions, so it is impossible to develop a strategy. Already the tyres, compared to the tests, have been working differently with the lower temperatures and tomorrow will be an entirely different story.”

Ready to take on Marquez and Viñales?
“The important thing is to be in the right group, but there will be more than us 3 battling for the top spots.”

You’ll have an ally with the fans all on your side…
“That is something that you can feel and it is a wonderful personal satisfaction. The only problem is that I can’t get to my appointments on time (he laughs) but when I’m on the track there are only positive sides.”

You won’t make a prediction?
“No, because it’s difficult to understand what everyone’s actual pace is based only on the practice sessions. I did, however, follow Marquez and Pedrosa and they seem to have a little something extra. I don’t know if that is down to the bike or the riders.”

The sure thing is that you will be with them at the start…
“In qualifying I raised my voice and they heard it.”

Are they worried?
“Let’s not exaggerate, now. Both Marc and Maverick know how fast they are and which bikes they are on. I sincerely doubt that they have any self-esteem problems.”

Let’s think about the worst case scenario: tomorrow it rains.
“Misano is a simple track, but it can get very complicated. Already today the wind caused a few problems, so if it picks up tomorrow, maybe with a bit cooler temperatures and damps patches… it could be really difficult. Anything could happen and at that point the race would become fundamental.”

And with a flag-to-flag?
“That is a situation where I usually do well and the mistakes in recent races are useful experiences. This time I’ll have the indications on the dashboard. I already tested them in free practice.”