[ad_1]
Andrea Dovizioso leaves Misano as first in the world championship standings. Just reading this sentence, one could think of two triumphant weekends on the home track for Ducati, perhaps crowned with podiums and victories, inflicting heavy defeats on opponents in the fight for the title. But going beyond the title, and forgive the journalistic pun, the reality that emerges is very different from what is suggested.
The reality we are talking about sees a Dovizioso first in the world championship without ever having scored in Misano, with a seventh and eighth place under his belt, which would have objectively been in 2019 and previous seasons, two disappointing results to say the least. In this strange 2020, however, it was enough for him to take and then maintain the leadership of the ranking. Andrea continues to point her finger at the Michelin 2020 edition, tires capable of objectively distorting values on the field. But at the same time he admits, as an always intellectually honest person, that at this moment Pecco Bagnaia is the only one capable of taking advantage of the combination that the Ducati GP20 and these Michelins represent.
The Dovizioso who faces journalists at the end of the race is really divided between the two opposite faces, of those who know well that they are in their current ranking conditions. more for the demerits of others than for their own. Márquez’s absence from the track gave him without a doubt the clearest opportunity to claim the title before saying goodbye to Ducati. But is Andrea really making the most of it? It is probably the Forlì rider who repeated this question, while invoking the need to go against his instincts to ride this bike and especially these tires to the limit. Destiny has a strange sense of irony, because in the past Dovizioso’s innate ability to handle tires had allowed him to rack up many victories.. Today, precisely at the time that it had to be hers and hers alone, the tires are the main rival to beat on the track rather than the ally to rely on to launch the attack.
You look at the ranking and you are the first. You can almost laugh at how things are going in the race.
“Looking at today’s ranking makes me laugh – confirms Dovizioso – because it is difficult to be the first in the classification going slow. But this is what’s happening, it’s funny, but we have been good in some races to take points home. We continue working to improve and learn to adapt where we are not yet achieving it. ”
But being the first in the middle of the championship will mean something.
“We are halfway through the championship, but It would be better to fight for the podium in the next few races than to stay in front without really having the speed to lead the world championship. It is frustrating because we are working so hard to adapt to the new braking style that we need. On the data it is clear what is needed, but in fact it is difficult to apply everything. I’ve been a bit more consistent than in Misano 1, but I still don’t have the speed to improve the situation. We are not in a position to really fight for the championship. We are certainly in the right position to do it and we are not going to give up, because I know that on each track there can be a different story. In Barcelona everything will be different from today, you have to always be prepared ”.
Dovizioso: “It is wrong to call this championship a low level, only the drivers know the reality”
Some think that this ranking reflects a low level of the championship without Marquez. what do you think about it?
“To say that this championship is at a low level is wrong. Just look at how close all the riders are, this can mean two things: either all MotoGP riders are bad, or they are particularly strong. We are always close, both in qualifying. . than in the race pace. There is a difference of a few tenths between the first and 15. How can we say that the level is low, also because we are talking about the same drivers who have won in previous seasons. So even then was the level low? In my opinion, only riders can speak low or high level, because there is no such knowledge of many details if you are not on the bike, so you should focus on other details and not talk about these things.
But what do you think Márquez would have done in this championship? Would he dominate or suffer like everyone else?
“I’d be curious to see Marquez on these tires. In Jerez he showed excessive power, but in reality it means little or nothing because no one will find out this year, so it is useless to consider it. Of course he was very fast in Jerez, but if we analyze things logically, how were his tests in Qatar? Very bad. Then in the first race, were you eight tenths faster than the others while recovering? Jerez may not have given us a real projection of its value, but the fact is that these tires have created this situation. From the tests to the first race. For me it is logical, everyone can have their own ideas but these are objective data ”.
Did the Michelins of 2020 upset the values so much?
“I’ve been saying this for a long time, these tires don’t work like I have for the last three years. The bike setup that we’ve been using so far doesn’t work either, so everything is different. You have to have a different setup and you also have to ride differently. You really have to ride against instinct, it’s not an easy thing to do when you’re riding a MotoGP. I try, but I don’t feel good in the saddle. All Ducati riders find that they were strong in braking until 2019. ”
Dovizioso: “I study the Bagnaia data, he is the only one who drives the Ducati as it should be with these tires”
But Bagnaia manages to exploit them with Ducati.
“I keep studying the Bagnaia data, who rides this bike with these tires in a different way from others. Brake less and later, apply less pressure, and get into corners quickly. It is different from what we did before. She is doing very well and is making a difference. ”
Looking at the rivals, the growth of Mir and Suzuki is something impressive. Are you a true candidate for the title?
“The Suzuki is very balanced, from what you can see is an easier bike for the riders, it allows them to be very consistent and also preserve the tires to be very fast at the end of the race. That’s why they manage to be so fast at the end of the race. At least it looks like that from the outside. So Mir is a great talent, I already said that in the past. Right now he is the most dangerous of all for the title, I had already seen him in some races. In Misano it came out even more, let’s see how it goes in Barcelona ”.
After testing it seemed like he had found the key to solving the problems. What happened?
“A pilot must always tell it in a certain way. When you get slapped and then throw yourself to the ground, you can’t be a pilot. We need to keep pushing even when things aren’t going well and maybe even a little bit about it. Not only are we passing the time, we are working hard but it is difficult. For me all this happens through the tires. In recent years these tires did not exist and there has never been a championship like this. As a result, these tires are creating these ups and downs. Viñales fought in Misano 1 and then Misano 2 won, what does this mean? So it must be said that this is the situation for us as for everyone, so we must continue working and try to improve the situation. Of course, I am first in the classification with few important results, but this is the situation. It’s not over, I have to keep believing it. I can’t get too realistic and analytical, this is not necessary now. ”
[ad_2]
