It's a scent of the end of the cycle which exudes more and more strongly from a Petronas box which will no longer be relevant next year in MotoGP. Thus, the Malaysian oilman will have disappeared from the landscape just like Valentino Rossi who will enjoy his retirement. Andrea Dovizioso will be the one who will remind us that in the past, there was something other than the RNF Racing colors of a Razlan Razali who will remain master of the walls. Despite this strange atmosphere, it is with the intention of asserting itself in the top 10 that this team approaches its second meeting of the year with the Portimao track.
An ambition that holds water because, last April, Valentino Rossi was evolving in this area had to fall. The Doctor therefore approaches his penultimate career Grand Prix as follows: “ Portimão is a difficult track with very particular characteristics that no other circuit has. The first of our two races there this year wasn't too bad for us as I was able to work my way into the top ten. Unfortunately, I fell. The objective this weekend is to try to have a good race and to be at the front. I had good feelings there, especially on Sunday, so I hope we can be competitive and repeat a great result like the one we got last time in Misano ».
It will be a great first for Dovizioso on the Yamaha Petronas
For his teammate, on the other hand, it will be a great first with the Yamaha , knowing that with the Ducati At the end of last season, he finished sixth in Portugal after starting from the fourth row of the grid. With the points obtained during the last two Grands Prix, Dovi hopes to maintain this trend and continue to progress: “ the Algarve International Circuit is a very unique track and I really don't know what it will look like with the Yamaha YZR-M1, especially as we are still learning new settings with the bike »Comments Dovizioso.
« I am very interested to see if we can be more competitive in Portimão, because in Misano we were unlucky with the changing conditions on the track. I hope to take a step forward because it's hard to fight right now. I also hope that we will have good conditions in free practice, because we need them to continue progressing and do more laps on the bike » adds the former three-time world vice-champion.
By the way, after Razlan Razali has formalized its partnership with WithU with a view to 2022, he had the satisfaction of seeing the Barracuda brand renew its confidence in him, despite the major changes within his organization in MotoGP symbolized by the departure of Petronas.
