The conference held after the Japanese Grand Prix brought together Marc Márquez, Fabio Quartararo and Andrea Dovizioso.
As usual, we report here the raw words of Andrea Dovizioso, without the slightest journalistic interpretation.
Andrea, congratulations on your hundredth Grand Prix podium! After making the last minute decision to go medium, you did a tactical race today. How did it take place?
Andrea Dovizioso : “yes, it was a bit strange. We had a lot of questions before the race, regarding the choice of tires and the settings, because I didn't feel very good during the warm-up either. So before the race, I wasn't very comfortable doing this kind of race. So because of that, we are happy because the gap was not huge at the end of the race. But we suffered during the first part of the race, when the grip was good for everyone: we were not fast enough! I was losing too much in the middle of the corner and I couldn't be faster than Morbidelli. Then, lap after lap, the tires got worse and, in this case, my bike got better and better: I was able to brake better and my times improved. So I'm really happy with the last part of the race because my feelings were very good and my times were good. But we are not fast when the grip is good! This is something that we have to analyze and study, because during testing we struggled to be at the top, as was the case at the start of the race. So I'm a little bit disappointed about that, especially if you consider the end of the race where I was really fast. But this is the situation we must analyze. »
In the championship, you are still second like in previous years, but very far from Marc Márquez who seems in another world...
“(Laughs) Yes, it’s reality! I think I have a good advantage over Rins and Viñales, but I think we will have to be smart in the next three races because it won't be very good for us. So we have to work in the right way and take stock, because you never know: in three races anything can happen and it was important to score points here. We struggled a lot but in the end it was important to stay in front of them and we did it. We will see the weather at Phillip Island and what we can do. »
“In the next three races, we have to be smart” – @AndreaDovizioso 🎙️
The Ducati rider is closing in on the championship runner-up spot! 💪#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/wdcDsddy8e
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 20, 2019
You changed pace in the last laps: did you play with the maps?
“I played because everyone was at the limit, but I wasn't fast enough because of that. I was fast because I took a lot of risks and I braked like a stupid driver. I lost the front on many occasions but I saw that Fabio was really struggling. This was my positive point during the race, compared to everyone else: the braking was really good, and in particular I could gain a lot at turn 11. So I attacked in this part and I was able to be fluid. Fortunately, when I wasn't fast at the start of the race, I stayed calm and still drove smoothly. So towards the end, when the bike was a little better, I was able to be fast. »
What are the best memories of your career?
“Definitely, the victories of the last two or three seasons have been something crazy, because the fights are always crazy with Marc. Of course, Austria has been very good this year. At Mugello there was no fight but it was an important moment and it was really emotional on the podium. Another one ? In Sepang, it was fantastic! When I watch the race again, I'm a little surprised. Everytime ! I think we did something crazy because there was a lot of water and we were going fast. When I'm old and watch this, it will surprise me even more. »
When Maverick was behind you, putting pressure on you, did you have the situation under control?
" Yes ! At this point I wasn't sure what the best strategy would be as I never saw Maverick during the race but I could easily hear that he was much faster mid-corner. So he tried to pass me many times but maybe, just maybe, he wasn't aggressive enough towards me and he didn't block me. But I was trying to close the doors and slow him down mid-corner, then accelerate better since our bike accelerates better. But in the fast corners, like #6, #7 and #8, I couldn't slow him down and he tried many times. The times were still good, in 46.4, but in the last four laps, I knew he had a soft tire and when I saw Fabio struggling but trying to attack and taking risks when braking, I was able to manage and it was difficult for him to stay with me. And I almost caught up with Fabio. »
MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix standings:
Classification and photo credit: MotoGP.com
