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Exhausted but happy. That's the perfect description for Andrea Dovizioso while he raises the third-place trophy in Jerez. A podium he had never been on in his entire career. Shoulder surgery, a difficult start to the weekend, the fatigue in the race, all behind him and, for a moment, only joy. For a moment, because Andrea did a "Dovi" during the race and, after the adrenaline rush, his brain went back to being it's usual analytical self.
“Before starting, I expected to be in the leading group, but I was actually slower than I thought," he started explaining. "I managed to make a difference by staying calm, using my head. I was never really fast, just constant, and I never given up. This outcome was the result of a great deal of work. It was tough fighting the heat without really being fast. I had to use up a lot of energy. I used all the cards I had."
And you did it perfectly.
“This 3rd place is like a victory for me, for many reasons. Like I said, I was slower than the best, but I never gave up and made no mistakes. But we have to improve. Marquez had a disarming speed, the best of all, but the two Yamaha bikes were also faster than me."
Is the new Michelin tire still a problem?
“We have a lot of information to analyze for the next race, but we'll have to wait for other tracks to better understand the situation. We didn't struggled this much in Qatar."
Marquez fell after an incredible comeback. Should he be happy anyway?
“It's not so much a matter of mentality than speed. Marc made a mistake when he was already on the podium, but when you're as fast as he is, you try, and that's what he did. Surely, the championship could now change, not because he lost points today, but because he hurt himself and could miss the next race. Unfortunately, injuries are the bad part of our sport. Nobody would want that to happen to them. But Marc is strong, and I'm sure he'll be back soon."
In a few days, you'll be back on the bike and on the same track.
“It's something new, and I think it'll be positive for everyone. We'll be able to work on the details to improve. I hope we'll have some room to improve, because we have. I hope and believe I can fight for the championship, but I realized today that it won't be easy. However, even if we weren't fast, I was close to the best, so we have to improve slightly."
That's good news.
“Yes, but when you're not fast, it's difficult to create a strategy. You can't fight, but if we take a step forward, then we'll have the chance to do it. It'll be interesting to see what will happen next week, but I think that we'll understand more in Brno."
