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MotoGP, Dovizioso: "Marquez won't think about the title, just winning the race"

Andrea will start from pole at Motegi: "we have very similar pace, but Marc is not the only one to watch out for tomorrow"

MotoGP: Dovizioso: "Marquez won't think about the title, just winning the race"

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Everything is going to plan for Dovizioso and the fact he's secured pole position, not exactly his forte, is further proof of his strength at Motegi. Andrea is not getting ahead of himself though, as he is aware of Marquez's level, as his main rival. “But I'm pleased - he states - with pole, with my sensations during qualifying and with how we've worked. We started with a good base, but have been able to improve and I knew that I could be fast over the flying lap”.

It appears that nothing can worry you…
Up until now, it's all gone as expected, but things could go better or worse in the race, you never know”.

Does Marquez worry you?
Marc has great pace, he was quickest in FP4, without putting in a new tyre. Right now it looks like we're very similar in terms of pace, I couldn't say if one of us is quicker than the other. But Marquez won't be the only one to watch out for, as other riders are looking strong too”.

Zarco has promised a lightning start…
That doesn't sound like a good idea (he laughs). Jokes aside, I think Johann will be a tough opponent tomorrow, I expect him to fast throughout the entire race, he's one to watch”.

Marquez starts from the second row, is that an advantage for you?
I don't think starting sixth will limit him, he'll be top three after one lap you'll see. I suspect he had a problem in qualifying but his pace is strong”.

You don't think title pressure will bother him at all?
I wouldn't even call it pressure, he's a rider who has won a great deal and has been in much worse situations. He also has a big championship lead, so he can take a risk and manage things”.

As he's done in the last races…
Yes, i expect something similar, with us two fighting until the end, not thinking about the title but the race win. Though I can't be thinking about the title unfortunately”.

One difference here is that tyre wear is not so critical here…
It's true that there are different strategies in these cases, while only one is possible in cases where consumption is high. Here I expect everyone to run a faster race but, I repeat, there's not just Marquez, so any strategy has to consider everyone and not just him. I'll see how my rivals are going in the race and then decide”.

Translated by Heather Watson

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