In the little game of “ who will benefit from the new Michelin rear tires? » Andrea Dovizioso seems to have drawn the wrong card. But the Italian is progressing…
The relationship between the MotoGP vice-world champion and Michelin tires is a bit like the song “I love you, no more”, and has been for a long time!
However, the leading driver of the reds, who will not see his future sealed before August, is rather satisfied with the progress made this Friday, compared to Wednesday's tests which he concluded in a very modest 15th place in the ranking :
“I'm happy because we took a step forward from Wednesday, and that was our goal. Our level was better today and our speed is not so bad. We're still not as fast as the fastest, but we're not far off either. With the worn tires in the morning, we had a very good practice session in the afternoon, aiming to be ready for these temperatures. »
“We are working on many aspects, as you have to do in MotoGP, but the main point at the moment remains the tire. The rear tire remains difficult to operate. It's simply very different: when entering corners, in the curve, when exiting the corner, the behavior is different everywhere. »
“It’s neither good nor bad, it’s just different. I think it doesn't have as much impact on other bikes. I don't know how the other bikes react, but when I look at the others, Suzuki and Yamaha, from the outside it looks smooth. But like I said, that’s only seen from the outside. We really struggle with this. But the potential is there, and the speed is not bad. I'm not completely satisfied with the way we manage it yet, because to do more than 25 laps you have to be consistent. We are working on it and focusing on it.
And as expected, the feeling is a little different on each route. We struggled in Qatar, but in three days we found a way. Here in Jerez the track is difficult for us anyway, and the temperatures don't help us either. We're struggling a bit at the moment, but I'm really happy with the progress we've made in two days, even though there's still a lot to do. »
As for his recently broken collarbone, the Borgo Panigale representative is very satisfied: “The first day is always the worst. Having a day off, which we don't normally have, was unexpected to rest and be ready for today. Today, I felt much better, I completely forgot about my situation with my collarbone. The problem remains the heat, which is the same for everyone. You can manage this in training, because you do a maximum of six rounds. When I think about 25 laps, it's bad, especially on a small track like Jerez. If you are a few tenths faster than the others, that is the only key to handling the situation. Otherwise, it will be difficult for everyone. The 25 laps will be difficult, but everyone will start aggressively, because it's the first race and it's difficult to catch up on the Jerez track. »
FP1 MotoGP ranking at Jerez 1:
FP2 MotoGP ranking at Jerez 1:
FP1/FP2 MotoGP ranking at Jerez 1:
Credit rankings: MotoGP.com
