The fiery Andrea had a bright future at Ducati, until he overheated in the final corner of the 2016 Argentine GP, sending both factory Desmosedicis to the ground while in second and third positions . An Andrea had to leave to make way for Lorenzo, it had to be Dovizioso, it had to be The Maniac.
Iannone has nevertheless retained great expertise in the Bolognese red, and he can fully appreciate Jorge's current situation. The three test sessions carried out so far by Lorenzo on the Ducati have been sometimes exciting, sometimes disappointing. His eighth place in Valencia, when he discovered the Desmosedici, was all the more satisfactory as it only placed him 0.035 behind Valentino Rossi, and 0.3 behind his new teammate Andrea Dovizioso.
Sepang was not going so badly because behind Maverick Vinales in 1'59.3, we found the Ducati of Andrea Dovizioso in 1'59.5, Casey Stoner in 1'59.6 and Jorge Lorenzo in 1'59.7. Jorge was 0.399 behind his old Yamaha now driven by Vinales. The results when leaving Malaysia were not triumphant, but they were not worrying. In Australia, the result was disappointing. Lorenzo in eighth was only 0.793 behind leader Maverick Vinales, but he was also dominated by debutants like Jonas Folger and Alex Rins.
According to Andrea Iannone, “ Adapting to the Ducati is a huge task, it's a bike that needs to be ridden with a completely different style. It has become easier in recent years. It is true that this bike requires a particular riding style, but it also has the potential to be competitive. You just have to figure out how to get the most out of it.
“In Jorge's case, what is important is that he stayed riding the same machine for a very long time. So discovering a different bike requires a radical change in terms of riding style. It forces you to think. And if you think too much when you ride, then you're not that fast.
“You have to adapt as quickly as possible to the new situation in order to do things instinctively, as you were used to with your previous machine. If your instinct is to drive the same way you used to, then you are missing the opportunity to improve. »
Photo © Ducati
Partial source: Motorsport
