If, for some, this 2019 MotoGP season will truly end on the evening of the Valencia Grand Prix, for others, the exercise is already over. Because there is nothing more to gain. This is the case of Andrea Dovizioso who, for the third time in a row, is vice-world champion to Marc Márquez. In absolute terms, it is honorable and even meritorious given the quality of the opponent. But a little more each year the gap grows when it should be narrowing. And DesmoDovi admits it when taking stock, this time, this gap even turns out to be ridiculously large…
Remember: in presenting its troops for fiscal year 2019, Ducati promised that this time it was the right one. There was even a sponsor on the fairings with a name so evocative that it was like an incantation. We were going to see what we saw in a campaign which was going to begin with a Marc Márquez diminished by a delicate shoulder injury which had yet to recover. Well, that was the theory because, on the track, the same Márquez didn't let it count...
Riding a Honda which responded to the strong points of the Desmosedici while taking care of the faults of its new RC213V, Marc Marquez gave a demonstration. For a little, to listen Dovizioso, we would even speak of humiliation inflicted by the boss of the HRC: “ we've had a lot of ups and downs this season, and more problems overall than in the last two years ", declared the teammate of Danilo Petrucci. " The gap with Marc is too big, ridiculously big, not only for me, but for all the other drivers as well. It's hard to find a way to beat Marc, it's hard to even know what to do »
The observation is there: in 2017, the decision was only made during the grand final in Valencia. At the end, Márquez was 37 points ahead. Last year, Márquez took the title at the race weekend in Motegi and finished the season with a 76-point cushion. This year, the Honda official won in Thailand and is 139 lengths ahead of the final round in Valencia. Dovizioso.
The latter had some good moments, taking the victory in the last corner of the last lap at Márquez on a few occasions. But he has also lost some key assets: his race management is no longer as sure and his Ducati is no longer the only one to know how to accelerate, ride fast in a straight line and benefit from intimidating firepower. “ I was able to manage a lot of races by remaining calm, even if I was too slow ", Explain Dovizioso. " This meant I could make up a few positions at the end, but it's not enough, we need more and we need to improve. We just don't have the speed required for practice and the start of the race we are in a difficult situation, because you can't work out the right strategy. »
For 2020, he will therefore review his copy at Ducati… “ I know what I would like to have different, but it is not easy to understand all this in terms of riding style, handling and behavior of the bike, but we will continue to give everything it takes, otherwise we have nothing to do here. » He ends on motorsport magazine : " everything is possible. In 2017 and 2018 we did very well and I think we can do it again. Each season has its own story. »
