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MotoGP, Dovizioso: "Those who wanted to race were thinking only of their own interests"

Andrea attacks the dissenters including Márquez: "Sometimes you have to take a step back and think about safety"

MotoGP: Dovizioso: "Those who wanted to race were thinking only of their own interests"

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Good sense prevailed at Phillip Island and almost all the riders agreed to stop and postpone the qualifiers. It is that ‘almost’ that doesn’t set well with Andrea Dovizioso, who had hoped for a unanimous decision on such an important issue. Instead, there were those who wanted to go out on the track: Márquez, Rins, Zarco, Pol Espargaró and Miller.

I’m not surprised that there were some opposed to stopping - Dovi commented - The Safety Commission is a fabulous tool and I am pleased that it was created and to be part of it. The organization understands that the riders’ opinions are useful for improving safety and making certain decisions.

But…

Lately I have noticed something that I don’t like. There are riders who push in a certain direction only for their own personal interests. In certain cases, you need to be objective and not look at the advantages that can be gained. Some riders should never forget why the Safety Commission exists and they should understand that sometimes you need to take a step back.

Today, did those who voted to continue do so for their own interests?

It was clear that their opinion was dictated by convenience.

The Moto3 and Moto2 rider, however, did not have the same opportunities you did. Is there a ‘major’ and ‘minor’ league?

That is a legitimate and interesting question, but I am not the right person to ask. I don’t have an opinion on that topic.

It is often said that we should race at Phillip Island in a different season.

We have talked about it often, but we riders can do little in this regard. Maybe, after what happened today, it will be less impossible to change the GP date, moving it to the beginning of the year, but that doesn’t mean that it will happen. Higher temperatures would certainly help, but as for the wind, there isn’t much that can be done.

Was it impossible to hold the qualifiers today?

The wind was not only strong, but also irregular in terms of direction. All the riders can ride in these conditions, but you can’t control the bike because you don’t know what to expect. Before every practice session on this track, I study the wind direction to see how to adjust my ride, but today that was not possible.

Is it also fair to make up the qualifiers tomorrow?

That’s the way it will be for everyone. The difficult thing will be to prepare mentally to be ready to give one hundred percent after only doing the warm up session.

Translated by Jonathan Blosser

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