MotoGP, Dovizioso: The gamble? We could have looked like idiots

“I even thought that at the end of qualifying everyone might think we were idiots”, Dovizioso can joke about the crazy choice not to use the softest tyre in qualifying, but the medium instead. An uncommon choice, but one that let Andrea take 2nd place on the starting grid.

“Sometimes it works to use a different strategy than the one all the others use, but it is not easy to make a decision like that” he assures.

How did you think of it?
“Today was a strange day. The track was in different conditions than yesterday. It was colder. In fact, in the two free practice sessions, I had not been as fast as I thought. I had worked with the used soft tyre, which I thought was the one to use in the race, but it did not work well. I was not consistent and I made a lot of small mistakes.”

Was that all it took?
“In Q1 we noticed that Pedrosa had done his best time with the medium tyre and Pirro also told me that it was a good idea. Three minutes before going out, we took the risk. If it had gone badly, I would have put on the soft for the second outing.”

And instead?
“I discovered that 5 or 6 degrees of temperature higher or less can make a big difference. It was the right decision.”

Was it a surprise?
“I would say more of a confirmation. We removed some significant doubts. I realised that if we had used another tyre in the last two free practice sessions, I would have been able to be faster, but especially more consistent.”

Only Marquez managed to do better than you…
“I did not do a perfect lap. I must admit that Marc is very much in form, but I am in a nice situation.”

What worries you?
“Not my speed, but the tyre choice. All it will take is a rise in temperature tomorrow and everything will change again. I think this will be a race that will be won with strategy.”

Who worries you?
“Marquez is the one who has a half point more than everyone else, but the Yamahas will also be with us. As we saw today, things can change quickly. The situation is different than last year when we started knowing that there were two of us battling for the win - Iannone and me. Now the right tyre choice counts for more. Also, I was never able to follow anyone, so I do not know exactly what strong points I can count on.”

Will you use the new fairing?
“Yes, it works well here, but it is a definitive choice for the entire season. I think that in the coming races we will have the chance to choose between this one and the standard one.”