MotoGP, Dovizioso: "Lorenzo rode as if he were on a Yamaha"

Who would ever have bet on two Ducatis finishing in the top five at Jerez? Certainly not many people. On the Spanish Sunday, besides Lorenzo’s podium, Andrea Dovizioso put on a super comeback ride after starting fourteenth. The Italian managed to finish ahead of Viñales.  

“Finishing fifth in Jerez after starting fourteenth is a good result. In fact, I did not expect it. Yesterday in FP4 we were fast, as we were today despite the wind, since it was easy to make a mistake. I am really pleased with the way I managed the race, beginning from the start all through the comeback, where I avoided being frenetic and making mistakes.”

Is there a negative aspect?

“I am not satisfied with the way the bike performed on the fast corners. Also, considering the tyres and the poor grip, you cannot afford to push too hard because you risk going down.”

A picture perfect Sunday for Lorenzo.

“Jorge rode like when he was in form on his Yamaha. That helped him to make the difference in the difficult moments, unlike me. These are small details which, however, show the difference. My compliments to him.”

Now you head to France

“We will head to Le Mans with a lot more optimism, because after the Argentina and Texas we were not competitive in braking. In Jerez we got close to the best and I hope it will be like that again in two weeks.”

What do you have to say about the tyres? Is it the merit of how they suit the Ducati?

“The big difference was the tyres this year. There was a big gap compared to the ones used in 2016.”

Did you expect the Yamahas to be in such difficulty?

“Valentino was not fast, but I don’t think he had any particular difficulties. Maverick, on the other hand, stopped in the middle of the corners. It was clear that he did not have confidence in the front. This is a Yamaha track, but you cannot imagine the grip we had in 2016, since they made the difference on that occasion precisely because of the tyres.”

Was the doubt between soft and hard?

“I think today the soft and hard would have provided the same performance. Lately, the differences between the three tyres are really small. Racing with the medium would have been possible.”

Isn’t there a risk that this podium will hide some limits?

“I hope not. I am well aware of my bike’s strong points and defects.”