Triple vice-World Champion MotoGP in 2017, 2018 and 2019 on Ducati, “Desmo Dovi”, winner of 23 Grands Prix in 313 races, is worried like many about the current situation. His family life was turned upside down, and he explains it to us here, as well as his way of managing the crisis and always finding a center of interest for his passion for competition, such as following, for example, motocross in the UNITED STATES.
It is also considering the return of activities, taking into account that three days of preliminary tests are not enough. Finally he gives us his point of view on the adaptation of the Desmosedici to the rear Michelins, which did not seem ideal during winter testing.
“No one expected it to get this bad, so it’s really strange. Now it is crucial to stay at home. I know it's difficult, but we all have to try to only go out when necessary, also because it seems that this measure is working, so we have to continue like this. »
“At the beginning it was quite difficult. My girlfriend and I used to do some housework, but now things have changed a bit. My daughter is staying with us, and there is a lot of work to do with her. »
“I train harder than before. Normally our schedule is tight. We need to train, but also find time to rest in order to be ready for the race weekend. Now I can train as much as I want. »
“I try to follow motocross as much as I can, also because in America they are allowed to continue their activities, so I can watch what they do. For me, it's like a kind of recharge period. »
“I think two pre-season tests are not enough for us. Our body is not yet ready to ride that much for three days straight. I spend most of the time trying out new items, and we also need to be sure before deciding how to continue our development. That's why I'm usually not that fast during testing. I always try to try the equipment at the right time and with certain tires because I want to give the right feedback. »
“At first it seemed that the new tires did not adapt well to our driving style and characteristics. But I think in the end we were able to improve the overall feeling with the bike during the Qatar test. “Unfortunately, this does not mean that we will be good on all tracks. The rear tires are different, and they affect the front tires a lot. We did a lot of laps, but during a test it is difficult to find the same conditions as in the race. »
“Of course we are heading into the new season to fight for the championship. Whether this will be possible we will only know during the season, but it is always difficult because there are a lot of fast drivers. It's hard to be the best, but you have to have that mindset. »
Source and photos © Ducati
