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MotoGP, Dovizioso: "The Ducati without winglets is more physical and not as safe"

Andrea is ready for 2017: "Lorenzo is one of the most professional riders. We will see at Sepang how far he will be able to push on the Desmosedici"

Dovizioso: "The Ducati without winglets is more physical and not as safe"

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It was a decidedly peaceful winter for Andrea Dovizioso, thanks to a 2016 season finale at the top and the first world GP win astride the factory Ducati Desmosedici, a bike with which the rider from Forlì is ready to compete in his fifth MotoGP season: “the win in Malaysia was the achievement of a goal that the team and I had set for ourselves - Andrea says with satisfaction - and accomplishing that was very exciting. Finishing the season as protagonists and being consistently competitive allowed me to spend the winter with a relaxed mindset, an attitude that always helps when you live on the razor’s edge and even the smallest detail can make the difference.

The Sepang tests are right around the corner and Andrea makes no secret of his final objective, to the contrary: “I finished last season in fifth place, despite the accident and the crashes caused by ‘others’, so our goal is to set our sights on the world title. At Ducati we are all well aware that it will not be an easy thing to accomplish. I don’t think that we will have the most competitive bike in Malaysia, but we know what to work on in order to perfect it, especially to make it turn better. We have faith and we will do everything we can to compete with our rivals.”

What is your impression of your new teammate?

In spite of the Valencia test being short and cold, Lorenzo was quite fast. His approach with the Ducati was positive, but in Malaysia it will be easier to see how far Jorge will be able to push. We will have nine days to work on the bike and we’ll see how it goes.”

Last year, the two Andreas, Dovizioso and Iannone, were pitted against one another for reconfirmation on the team, Casey Stoner’s shadow, extremely fast after a long break, hung over the heads of the two factory riders and, as Dovi pointed out, there was no lack of ‘internal incidents’ that created division in the garage. The next question is almost compulsory …

Do you think that Jorge will have a less aggressive and more professional attitude on the track?

I know Lorenzo very well. I have been his great rival since 2001. Nevertheless, I have never had him as a teammate. In the early years Jorge had a few problems with some of the other riders, but over time he has changed his attitude and now he is one of the most professional riders on the track. Obviously, only the races will tell what will happen but to be honest he does not worry me. I am completely focused on myself.”

Are you ready for Sepang?

Yes, as I said before, I have great peace of mind and I also changed my training technique. Now I focus on the elasticity of the body. The Ducati without the winglets, prohibited by the new rules, is now more ‘physical’ in certain areas. More than anything, it is not as safe, especially in acceleration when it tends to take off, driven by all the horsepower that is unleashed. But this is a problem that all the teams will need to solve and not just us.”

Translated by Jonathan Blosser

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