Andrea Dovizioso is now part of the very exclusive club of drivers who have passed the 300 Grand Prix milestone. A deadline which took place during the last meeting at Mugello, but which was not celebrated with jubilation. The latter was for Danilo Petrucci, his teammate and winner of an Italian Grand Prix, which he finished in third place, behind Marc Márquez... In Catalonia, this weekend, the scenario will have to be different.
And for good reason, with a delay of 12 points in the championship on this devil of a Honda official, it is high time to reverse the trend. An offensive from DesmoDovi which has been awaited since the French Grand Prix… Andrea Dovizioso landed the Catalan Grand Prix podium four times in a row in the intermediate categories from 2004 to 2007, including a victory in the 250cc class in 2006 from pole position, and a victory in 2017 in MotoGP.
Before this victory, he had achieved just one first class podium in Catalonia with a third place in 2012 on the Tech 3 Yamaha. In 2014 and 2016, he was the first Ducati rider to cross the finish line in eighth and seventh. In 2015, he crashed from third on the sixth lap. Last year he qualified third – his first row in 2018 – but he crashed at Turn 5 while third.
Ducati has won the last two editions of the Montmeló race, in 2017 with “DesmoDovi” and last year with Jorge Lorenzo. On paper, the red motorcycle therefore appears to be the favorite. “ Ducati has won the last two Grands Prix at the Montmeló circuit and I am convinced that this year we will be competitive, although the temperature of the asphalt will be a determining factor » declares Andrea Dovizioso.
« We are at a key moment of the season and we must continue to gain points. Weather forecasts indicate that temperatures will be high. Therefore, tire performance and management will make all the difference. We are working well, we are coming from two consecutive podiums, but we must continue to improve our speed at the apex of the turn to be competitive on all types of tracks » finishes Dovi who is also waiting to see how his teammate Petrucci will behave. Because for two years, the one who won at Mugello on a Ducati has done it again in Catalonia...
Ducati has scored four MotoGP victories at the Circuit de Catalunya, including its first ever in the category with Loris Capirossi in 2003.
