After a summer day yesterday, it was in the cold and under a gray sky that Marc Márquez, Andrea Dovizioso, Maverick Vinales, Danilo Petrucci, Andrea Iannone and Jack Miller presented themselves this afternoon at the pre-event press conference of the Australian Grand Prix.
We offer you here our full translation of Andrea Dovizioso's words.
Andrea Dovizioso : “The last weekend was very good and everyone enjoyed the race. The conditions were difficult for everyone, and the way we worked meant that we arrived ready for the race. We handled this in the best way. The fight was very good and it is very important to continue like this and to work in the same way. We know that on this track a lot of drivers can be very fast, and in particular, on paper, Marc, so it will be difficult but we are enjoying this period and we have to continue working in the same way, relaxed, and try to progress during this weekend as we have done during many weekends this season. It is the objective. But as Marc said, the weather seems quite unstable like almost every year here, wind, rain, anything can happen, so we'll see it day by day. »
The five victories obtained with the Ducati propel you to another level…
“Yes, of course, winning a race has a great effect on the driver, but also on the team. At Mugello, it was very important to win the race for me, but a lot for the team. We created a very good situation inside the box, and small things make a big difference at the end of the championship. We are now fighting for the title and no one expected this. So the race victory makes a big difference but for the last race, more than the battle in the last lap, I thought on Monday that I was happier with the speed I had in the race. Marc and I made the difference during the race, and that was very important for us and for the team, to be competitive for the championship. Not just to pick up a few points during the race. So I'm very happy with that, like I said before, we'll see what we can do in the last three races. »
What is the most technical part of this circuit?
“There are always these fast corners taken at very high speed, and normally there is a lot of wind, so the stability of the front is not the best. Rear tire degradation is also very big after a few laps and you don't have much grip left, so the area in which you work and play with the bike is very narrow. This makes it difficult to be fast and consistent. »
When you say you are happy with your speed at Motegi, does that come from a better bike at the end of the season?
“It’s very difficult to know and analyze…what is the best package.” Because if you look at Marc's championship, he has been very consistent almost from the start. While the other Honda riders were sometimes very fast but had their ups and downs. At Ducati, it was the same for me. I was pretty consistent throughout the season while a lot of Ducati riders had ups and downs. So it's very difficult to know which is the best package. I think every race, every circuit, the tires, can create a different situation, so I don't know. But overall, with different bike characteristics, with different riding styles, we have more or less similar packages. »
Social media question: on your headset, you have a white horse and a black horse. They represent the rational and irrational sides of piloting. What is the part of each of them during a race?
“(smiles) It’s not something you have control over. It's something you try to control. You try to use the rational things at the right time, and the irrational things at the right time. It's very difficult. It's a way to describe the way each rider approaches everything, qualifying, racing, everything, on their bike. Every driver is very different. I think that's something I've improved on this year, which has brought the results in using the irrational horse more. This is definitely what I missed in my career. »
Photo credit: MotoGP.com
