MotoGP, Dovizioso: The future is still to be written

Dovizioso is not in the best position to look for a situation that already appeared to be desperate. Marquez is on the pole, but above all, he has an outstanding pace, whereas Andrea will be starting from the edge of the third row. The situation does not seem very hopeful, but the Italian does not want to let the last flame of hope go out.

“Winning the title was quite impossible even before arriving here, but we need to aim for that ‘quite’” he points out.

You’re not surprised?
“Nothing unexpected is happening. I don’t know who the fastest rider is right now, but I am working to stay with them.”

What is your level?
“I think I have the pace to be able to battle for the podium, but I need to find a way to ride more smoothly. I am still riding too aggressively and that is not good for the race. Marquez is very fast, but so are Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Zarco, and Iannone will be in the mix. Until now it has not been easy, but we will not give up.”

What would you need?
“To improve my pace by two or three tenths. This is a particular track where it is easy to exceed the limit when you try to push. In fact, there were a lot of crashes. This is why I need to find a smooth and flowing ride and for the same reason I did not do a great time in qualifying.”

Is the situation desperate?
“I’d say it isn’t the best, because I am not at 100% physically either; I feel a flu coming on. However, I knew what the values on the track would be and I am closer to the best than I was last year, even though that is still not enough.”

But…
“The future is still to be written; I knew that it would be difficult. In FP4 I had the 4th best pace, so it isn’t so bad.”

Does the 9th spot on the starting grid complicate things a lot?
“I could be a minor problem if I am able to be fast. The race is 30 laps and that could make the difference.”

Marquez will also have his own concerns at the start, with Zarco and Iannone alongside him…
“Johann and Andrea are flies in the ointment in general, not just for Marc (he laughs). We know what their approach will be and we’ll be careful.”

What do you think Marquez’s strategy will be?
“He is doing exactly what he promised after the Malaysia race. He built his speed in order to be able to decide his race strategy. Marc is very good at handling himself and when you’re fast, everything gets easier. I think that if I am not in the top positions, he will try to win. In that case, he will have nothing to lose.”

But Marquez crashes a lot…
“We are used to seeing him make mistakes, but he is definitely not stupid and he has demonstrated that throughout his career. I don’t have any power over him; I just need to try to win the race.”