#DutchGP The press conference

On the eve of the Dutch Grand Prix, Maverick Vinales, Andrea Dovizioso, Marc Marquez, Johann Zarco, Jorge Lorenzo and Alex Rins were gathered in front of the media, plus Cal Crutchlow, added due to his contract renewal with Honda and LCR.

Maverick Vinales:

“The Barcelona race is one to forget and you have to do it quickly so as not to damage your motivation or your self-confidence. I was lucky enough to be able to carry out tests on Monday and Tuesday. We rode a lot and found our feeling by pushing our limits. Assen is a good track for me which suits my riding style.

 »We still lead the Championship and that's the main thing. In one race I went from 26 to 7 points ahead on the clock, but if we have a chance to win we have to take it. We must seek the best possible result. »

Andrea Dovizioso:

“I didn't expect such a result before arriving in Montmeló. But from the start of the weekend, we were pretty fast. We nevertheless had to remain focused in order to best cope with the delicate conditions. During the race, I had a very good feeling behind Dani, I knew how to manage the tires well at the end. I'm very happy, we have worked very hard in recent years with the team to reach this level.

“But this season is quite strange, every weekend is different both from a track point of view and from a grip point of view. We'll see how it goes, but we'll approach things calmly. We are well placed in the Championship, something I didn't expect during pre-season. Of course, some points still need to be improved. There were tracks where we weren't so competitive. So we need to stay focused. »

Marc Marquez:

“The weekend in Catalonia was complicated, but we managed to finish in a good way and I'm delighted. We managed to improve our pace during the Test, I felt comfortable. I can't wait to start this event in Assen. We have to try to be competitive from the first session looking for stability, which is one of our weak points, but I think we are improving more and more. Assen is a circuit that I really like, which suits my style

“The Honda has suffered there in the past, but with the new engine character we are confident we can get even closer. We'll see, because the Yamaha is very fast, just like the Ducati. The unknown is always the weather, but we will have to adapt as quickly as possible. »

John Zarco:

“The great adventure continues and since these six laps in Qatar, I have enjoyed every moment. I learned a lot. I really didn't expect this podium at Le Mans, and I'm even more satisfied with the last race because I really struggled in practice. I was only 14th on the grid. But I knew how to keep calm to finish fifth.

“It gave me confidence. I know that the bike has very good potential, that if we work well and manage the sessions perfectly, there is a way to be better placed on the grid and that is really the key to hoping to be on the podium. I already have one, but I wish this opportunity came to me more often.

“This morning’s pre-event with Bruno was really good. I didn't know him, but he's a nice guy. His McLaren had significantly more braking downforce and more passing speed, but in a straight line you tell the difference on a bike. »

Jorge Lorenzo:

“We finally got a good result. I admit I was worried halfway through the race, I didn't know if I was going to be able to keep my place. But we were able to keep, as expected, the front tire to move up the rankings and that helped us a lot. We were also able to gain ground on the winner. I recorded pole position and led the first five laps.

“We always have something new and we are constantly progressing; a notion that I seek to maintain in the long term to be better. This weekend promises to be interesting, because Iannone was very fast last year. I'm really curious to see if we can continue this dynamic. »

Alex Rins:

" I'm happy to be here. The wait was difficult, because this fracture was particularly delicate to treat. I got back on the handlebars of my motorcycle after the Montmeló event and I was surprised to see that my injury was not causing me any pain.

“This weekend we will have to stay focused and regain confidence. I only competed in one race this season in Qatar… in Argentina, I crashed after a few laps. We will have to be calm, evolve step by step to understand the bike. »

Cal Crutchlow:

“It is excellent news to have been able to renew this contract with Honda and LCR for two years. I really look forward to continuing my work with them. I will try to provide them with as much information as possible, of course my experience helps.

“Regarding Assen, I qualified in pole position in 2013. That year, I could almost have finished second ahead of Marc, but the race was quite nice. Maybe I could try my luck again this weekend. »

Photo © Suzuki

source: motogp.com