Gone are the days when on June 2, 2001 the young Andrea Dovizioso qualified twenty-second in his first Grand Prix in 125, on the Mugello circuit, on an Aprilia from the RCGM Rubicone Corse. He was ahead of a young Spaniard, Dani Pedrosa, who was competing in his fifth GP. 16 years and 180 Grands Prix later, they are still fighting against each other.
Since 2001, Dovi has had time to use a few sets of slicks at Mugello, including testing sessions because the Tuscan circuit is Ducati's preferred test track, the Bolognese manufacturer not having its own circuit. Fortunately the track belongs to Ferrari, and the “Reparti Corse” of the two firms get along very well, with a discreet little exchange of technology from time to time. It's discreet and friendly enough not to raise the hackles of the Germans at Audi, owners of Ducati.
Andrea Dovizioso is not exactly the terror of Mugello. Out of 15 GPs, he has won 0. His opponents therefore do not regard him with trembling. He has three podium finishes as his best results, with the third in 2006 on his 250 Honda from the Humangest Racing Team, the second in 2011 in MotoGP on a Honda 800 RC212V, when he was Casey Stoner's teammate in the team. factory, then third again in 2012 on a Yamaha Tech3.
Since joining Ducati in 2013, Dovi has placed 5th, 6th, 3rd and 5th in the Italian GP. He currently occupies sixth place in the provisional general classification with 54 points.
According to Andrea Dovizioso: “ The Mugello race is our home event for both the team and me, so it's always something special. We intend to be competitive there, because it is a circuit that we know well. So, we will aim to achieve a good result.
“The tests we did a few weeks ago went well and the feeling is good. I am convinced that if we work well during the weekend, we will be able to have a good race. »
Photos © Ducati
