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MotoGP, Iannone: a duel with Dovi? I learned my lesson

"This is a special day for me and for Ducati. I don't feel pressure, but a great responsibility."

Iannone: a duel with Dovi? I learned my lesson

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In Austria, all eyes are on Iannone and the looks (more or less) are divided between his pole position and his friend Belen in pit lane. Despite a painful rib, the Maniac from Vasto swept the qualifiers and, for the first time this year, will have nothing but open track ahead of him at the start.

This is a special day both for me and for Ducati. Dovi and I are in 1st and 3rd - he says - It was a result that we needed, because lately we have not been able to exploit our speed. We worked well here from the tests on. The bike does well and my feelings are fantastic.

Was it all simple?
To the contrary, I had to push to the limit: Andrea and Valentino were very fast, as was Lorenzo.

Will they be the main adversaries for the race too?
I think so. It will be a great battle, because Yamaha has managed to close the gap between them and us. We will need to be careful, especially in the second part of the race."

How are you physically?
Thanks to the Mobile Clinic, today the pain in my rib has gone down and I hope that it will be even less tomorrow.

What do you expect from the race?
“The Ducati has improved. This is the start of the second half of the championship and it absolutely must be better than the first. I think that we have an excellent change for a great result.

Are you feeling the pressure on the evening before?
I’d say more a great responsibility, because Ducati has not had a win in many years. Staying concentrated is important.”

The unknown seems to be the tyres …
Michelin has done a good job over the summer break. I feel comfortable with both the soft and the hard. I hope I don’t have any problems over race distance. I did two long runs in FP3 and FP4 and I was able to be consistent.

Your engine’s horsepower will lend a hand …
It is certainly important. Just think that at the Sachsenring the throttle stays wide open for 18% of the lap, whereas it is 50% here.”

Will it be possible to run away at the front?
There is not much to run away with. We are all very close in terms of pace. Closer than you think.

After what happened in Argentina, will there be particular strategies with Dovizioso?
I will simply try to ride my race without bothering anyone. I learned my lesson and Andrea is a very smart rider. We do not want to slow one another down.

And if there is a head-to-head finale …
I don’t want to think about it. Winning would be fantastic, but a podium would be fine too.

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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