At Ducati, Gigi Dall'Igna declared himself “really satisfied with today's result”. Certainly the Ducati D16GPs are promising, but we can notice that the final result of this first Grand Prix of the season is nevertheless less good than that of last year, the fault, according to Andrea Iannone, of the grip of his tire forward on the white line of a long right turn.
Andrea Dovizioso, he again obtains the same place as last year, which he considers a dream, just like giving his impressions of Michelin tires.
He obviously showed up at the post-race press conference to explain it.
We offer you here a translation of his entire remarks.
Andrea Dovizioso: “Last year we fought for victory and everyone thought I was going to be fast, but that wasn't the truth. The truth is we have to remember how we finished the season. The feeling was not very good.
With the three Tests and a few small changes in the team, we really did a good job. I am extremely happy with this and I want to thank the team and Ducati, because, step by step, we improved the feeling during testing. From Phillip Island I knew I was starting to feel really good on the bike but as there were a lot of riders with really good times no one expected us to be competitive in the first few races. But we had again, here in Qatar during the tests, an even better feeling.
Today I think our base is better than last year. The bike is better and more balanced. It's not a brand new machine like last year's, we know more about this bike.
Of course there are new rules and we have to wait for a different circuit to know our potential, but I feel really good and what I saw in the race was really interesting because I understood a lot of important things that we will try to apply during the next races.
Yes, the start of the race was quite aggressive (with Iannone) with some overtaking, but it's racing and I'm happy to have been able to manage the first part of the race. I wasn't pushing 100% because no one knew the lifespan of the rear tire and, in the end, it was completely destroyed, like Lorenzo's. That's why I didn't attack at the start but I'm really happy with the way I managed the race, because it was really difficult to manage the slides, especially entering and exiting corners. But it's new for everyone and so it was the first real test to understand the tires. »
How do you rate Michelin tires?
Michelin has really done a very good job compared to last year. The front tire has improved and that is very important for any rider. (The difference) is just how you handle the tires, because both are really good. They're just completely different and you have to adapt, whether it's the bike or the riding style. I think we gained 7 seconds in the race so they did a great job.
Can you explain to us what difference these tires make when entering and exiting corners?
The front tire is different but, for example, during the last part of the race, I was able to brake quite hard without being on the angle, which is very good. Concerning the rear, its drop in efficiency is significant but I think the main reason comes from the electronics. We have less electronics on the maximum angle and we use the tire. Because to try to go faster and faster, you open the throttle a little more to the maximum angle, and I think that this is not the best for the tire and that is why the tires have a lot lost in the last rounds.
But, the times were good, so it's a very good compromise.
