Mid-season is approaching and Andrea Dovizioso begins to understand that the beautiful scenario of the 2017 title race may not be repeated. Three retirements in four races have long since erased a start to the campaign marked by a successful entry into Qatar. Here he is 61 points behind the leader Marc Márquez to the provisional general and the improvement of Lorenzo in the Ducati box is not his concern. On the other hand, the behavior of the Michelin rear tire at the end of the race is a real concern, since it seals its fate. And it is not the epilogue of the last meeting in Assen which will reassure DesmoDovi.
A year ago, Dovi won six victories and played for the title against Marc Márquez until the last Grand Prix in Valencia. A soap opera that is not the one unfolding this season. With the hindsight of eight Grands Prix now, the analysis of the situation of the reds is refined and it is clear that the GP18 manages the wear of its rear tire less well than the GP17.
The sole manufacturer of MotoGP has also evolved its product. In 2017, Dovizioso remained efficient at the end of the race. This is no longer the case and the Netherlands has confirmed the sad trend: “ at Assen, in the last eight laps, I no longer had traction. That's why I couldn't stay with Marc Márquez to fight for the podium. This is the negative point. I suffered a lot during these last eight laps. I can count myself happy to have finished fourth. It's not because I was inherently capable, but rather because I was in the right place at the right time. ».
« We need to make progress on the management of this rear tire. Compared to last year when we managed to exploit the worn tire is great. Because this year, we are completely helpless when it reaches the limit. Our advantage is now a disadvantage ". He finishes : " When you look and analyze what happened in Assen, you have to be objective: it's very difficult to beat Márquez. If you're not great in all areas of the game when he shows some semblance of weakness, you can't really fight against him. But it's still within the realm of possibility. ».
