It’s an observation that becomes a refrain in the official Ducati box. And it also receives an echo from Honda: the new Michelin rear tire shakes up the situation and redistributes the cards. In this game, the misfortune of one person is the happiness of another and the warning signal was given by Petrucci at the end of the day on Friday in Sepang. It is now Andrea Dovizioso who confirms: this tire will be a real joy for Yamaha and Suzuki…
It’s a Andrea Dovizioso worried and crumpled who left the Sepang track this Saturday. The fault lies in an unsuccessful search for performance with his new GP20 and a seemingly minor fall. However, it will be necessary to check on Sunday whether there will be any particular difficulties in continuing essential development work. On his accident, Dovi comments: “ I wasn't attacking. I only opened the throttle after turn 6 and lost the front end. A really slow, mundane crash, but I went into the gravel and couldn't stop the bike. The problem is still with my neck. I took a hit, I feel a little stiff and I hope it doesn't get worse tonight because that's my weak point when these things happen. »
The Italian then returns to his current concern: the new rear tire Michelin : " I'm not surprised that Yamaha and Suzuki have improved their top speed. Because the new tires more help motorcycles that have higher speed in the middle of the corner. I think that's their advantage, but I haven't been able to ride with them yet to understand those aspects. However, I think there is still a lot of work to do for everyone, so I don't know how much room there is, both for us and for the opponents. I'm not surprised, because the way you ride these bikes is perfect for this tire. »
However, there is a conundrum: Jack Miller. The Australian led most of Saturday before finishing second. Does the Pramac pilot have a secret idea? “ We will only see the reality in the race, because in the tests they are all very fast » puts the teammate of a Petrucci 13th. “ If you look at what the competitors did today, it seems like everyone can fight for the podium. But that's not reality. I think we need to stay focused and improve on the areas where we know we can move forward. All are quick over a lap, as there is plenty of grip. There was no rain, the track was well paved, it's easy to be fast. »
MotoGP, Sepang J2 Test: times
