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MotoGP, Dovizioso: "The 'potholes' force us to study the track again"

Andrea: "You have to ride following the dips and not the traditional lines, plus the track conditions make the bike twitchy"

MotoGP: Dovizioso: "The 'potholes' force us to study the track again"

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There is a Ducati ahead of the rest at Silverstone. It is Andrea Dovizioso’s, who did the best time in the afternoon, besting Honda and Yamaha. Andrea’s face is beaming with confidence, but there is no lack of treachery in Great Britain.

First and foremost, the rain, practically a given for Sunday.

“In England you never know if it will rain or not – Andrea began with a smile – It doesn’t make sense to think about Sunday right now. The only thing that counts is focusing on Saturday, where the conditions should be better than today.”

The track conditions are certainly putting the riders to a hard test.

They are worse than last year and the track needs to be studied all over again. The potholes have always been there, but you can’t see them, so you have to ride by sensation. The track is very wide and long – he added – but in any case, we have good speed. I think that Silverstone is one of the nicest tracks on the calendar, but finding these conditions is a pity because you can’t enjoy it.”

The dips are a true thorn in the side that force the riders to put forth greater than usual efforts.

“It is a physical struggle – Dovizioso commented – When you are on the track, the first problem is finding the right line to be fast and avoid the potholes. Then it becomes a question of intensity. With the power we put out, the bike gets angry. In fact, the Ducati does not react well. I have these reactions continuously from the GP18 and it doesn’t let you relax. It is a very different situation than on other tracks, because here you have to follow the potholes.”

Then there is the weather that cannot be underestimated, although the water could highlight where the dips are on the track.

“Rain is always an unknown. In fact, all riders try to avoid it, despite being competitive. The fact is that when you turn laps alone, you are aware of the presence of the dips, but in the battles you don’t see them. This is a problem because if you hit them in a certain way, you can’t get the bike back.”

Track conditions aside, attention then shifted to how competitive the ‘Red’ is.

Today we started well, especially in afternoon race pace on used tyres – he analysed – I would say that we are in line with the fastest. Saturday we’ll be able to improve, plus tyre wear is not bad.”

The final comment was about his rivals for the win.

“Besides myself, I’d say Viñales and Marc. Maybe Marquez is a bit at the limit, but he has the speed. I would also add Crutchlow, plus it will be interesting to see how Jorge works on Saturday.”

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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