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MotoGP, Pirro: "Dovizioso's problem is confidence, not the Ducati"

“I did the tests at Valencia, but I don't have a magic wand. This world championship has made it clear that it is the rider who makes the difference "

MotoGP: Pirro: "Dovizioso's problem is confidence, not the Ducati"

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Apparently the only thing left is to rely on him. Who are we talking about? It’s simple… Michele Pirro, because the fact remains that the next two rounds risk being decisive for the title race. MotoGP will in fact is about to tackle back to back races at Valencia, a track that historically has never proved to be a valid ally of Ducati, since in recent years the Rossa has managed to triumph on only one occasion, namely in 2018, when Dovizioso took victory under a violent downpour.

As we said, the track does not seem to be the best one for Ducati, which however put in some useful track time early as the test rider from Puglia lapped there last week. On the 'Ricardo Tormo' track, Pirro collected information and feedback that could be useful for the end of the season, despite Dovizioso's race for the title being a bit of an uphill struggle.

"Last week's test was the last for us this 2020 - Pirro began - obviously we can only ride on certain tracks (Misano, Mugello and Valencia) and as a result we don't have many days available. It was a useful test, because we picked up some indications for this season finale and obviously for 2021, seeing as the next tests will be in Malaysia, COVID-19 permitting ”.

After last week's test, many observers think that you can make a major contribution to Dovi for the title fight.

“That I can understand, seeing as there are so many expectations surrounding us. The problem is, I don't have a magic wand in my hand to solve the problems in just two days. And then it is not certain that my feelings are the same as Andrea's. I'll explain".

Sure…

“As seen from the outside, this is an unusual and in some ways anomalous world championship, where you don't only need to have the bike at the top. You can also have the bike at peak performance, but if you don't have the right feeling with the tyres to get the best out of them, you're not going anywhere. At Valencia I might also have had some excellent sensations with the Ducati, but if Andrea or another Ducati rider doesn't have the right mix once they are in the race - made up of bikes, tyres and confidence - you're not going anywhere. And this is confirmed by the results of this season of all the Ducati riders and not only of Andrea ”.

However, Dovizioso has seemed to be in a lot of difficulty in these last few races…

“Andrea has certainly struggled in the last few GPs, but I don't think the problem is the bike. This is demonstrated by Zarco, who has finished in the top five with the Ducati. As I said, it's a mix of things, namely bikes, tyres and confidence. If one is missing, you struggle in a world championship like this one. Look for example at Quartararo. He won at Barcelona and then suffered a lot in these last three races, even though he was untouchable in qualifying ”.

Michele, what can we expect from the Ducati at Valencia?

“The tests went well, but I honestly don't know. Maybe Dovi can immediately find the right confidence and win both races or struggle as happened in the last ones. At the moment in this championship there is no certainty for anyone, except for the Suzukis, since they are always there at the front fighting for the podium. What I can say is that we have worked hard because we don't want to give up. In fact, there are still three races to go ”.

However, Dovi’s gap from Mir is quite a big one...

“Sure, but Dovizioso knows it's not finished yet and I agree with him. It's not an easy situation for him, but if he finds the right mix in Valencia, he's not doomed. From what we have seen until now, this world championship has made it clear that in the package of motorcycle, tyre and confidence, the difference is once again made by the rider ”.

 

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