At the end of a tricky race on a wet track, Andrea Dovizioso became the ninth different winner of the 2016 season this Sunday at Sepang.
The Italian won his second victory in the premier category after the one he won at Donington in 2009, at the time riding a Honda.
Pole and victory for the Ducati
“I’m happy to get this victory in this way,” confides the Ducati rider. “The race was difficult. From the outside you would have thought that I had mastered the race, but that was far from the case. There was a lot of water on the track at the start of the race. Rossi and Iannone were driving very fast. »
“It’s a good weekend and a very important race for us. I had good tests, then took pole and won the race. I've never won here before and I'm very happy for Ducati. »
The race was therefore not an easy task for Dovizioso who had to elbow his way against, in particular, Valentino Rossi, whom he only managed to overtake five laps from the checkered flag, “Valentino normally never gives up, and I didn't expect to open up such a gap,” adds the Italian. “I managed to keep a good pace, but of course I had to take risks. »
Dovizioso had already narrowly missed out on a victory in Austria, which he ultimately had to leave to teammate Andrea Iannone, “I think the victory was mine in Austria,” He explains. “Getting this result now is very important. I am perhaps at the best moment of my career. I am proud and I know that I can still improve. I believe in them [Ducati] and they believe in me. »
“My worst moments this season are probably the first 3 or 4 races. I had three withdrawals that weren't my fault. It was really hard. Since Barcelona, I have found the rhythm, but we should have a little more to try to fight for the title on a regular basis. »
After becoming the 9th MotoGP winner of the season, who could be number 10? “This year, anything can happen,” concludes Dovizioso. “Aleix [Espargaro]? Maybe with Aleix anything can happen. »
Valentino Rossi secures the title of vice-Champion, again
With this second place finish, the Yamaha rider secured the place of vice-World Champion against his teammate Jorge Lorenzo. This is the third time in a row that he has won this silver medal at the Championship, “I’m pretty happy with the season,” assures Red. “We got a lot of podiums and a good pace. We simply made too many mistakes to really challenge for the title. Winning this title here in Sepang is a good thing, because Lorenzo is always very fast in Valencia, and I didn't want to arrive there with only a few points difference. »
“I tried to stay in the lead, but after a tough fight against Iannone, it was really difficult. Every time I passed him, he responded. Then I didn't have the pace to stay with Dovizioso and I didn't want to make a mistake. I couldn't hold the throttle properly because my gloves were slipping from the rain while riding behind Iannone. »
“I was optimistic for victory, but with less water on the track, I didn't have the same pace as Andrea. It's a shame, but we score the points for second place. We are as strong in the dry as we are in the wet. We suffer more in mixed conditions. »
The Italian will test his new 2017 mount during the test in Valencia following the Grand Prix, “There’s always a lot of new stuff on Tuesdays. We will see Lorenzo on Ducati, Iannone on Suzuki. We hope we get to see the new bike. This will be an important test for us. “ The team will then return to Sepang for another test, this time private.
The Italian was asked about the rest of his career after 2018, “I was already quite old 7 or 8 years ago (laughs), but I’m not giving up…” Dovizioso to respond, “We will all be retired before he retires (laughs). »
Lorenzo prays for rain...
Jorge Lorenzo climbed onto the podium this Sunday at Sepang. This third place was unfortunately not enough for the Majorcan to compete for the title of vice-Champion against his rival and teammate, Rossi.
“The others fell and I finished third,” confides Lorenzo. “So it's not a spectacular race, but it's still a good result and it was important to get back on the podium. »
It is well known that Lorenzo is not a fan of racing in these conditions, “A podium in the rain is good for confidence. I didn't want a mixed race and practically prayed on the grid for rain. I also almost fell during the warm-up lap. I asked Loris [Capirossi] to delay the race because there was too much water. »
This penultimate race of the season also marks his penultimate under the Yamaha colors which he has worn since his arrival in MotoGP in 2008, “It’s a moving moment, I’m fully motivated. I want to leave Yamaha with a victory. »
“This season was good in the first Grands Prix, almost perfect with only one mistake in Argentina,” adds Lorenzo. “Since the Catalan Grand Prix, it has been difficult to be consistent. I suffered a lot with the tires and made too many mistakes. »
After the Valencia Grand Prix, Lorenzo will take his place on the handlebars of a Ducati which has just won this Sunday (GP16 or GP17, this still remains to be confirmed), “The bike improves every year, and this victory is not a surprise for me. Dovi' is one of the best in the wet and he deserves this victory. »
The end of intermediaries?
Regarding intermediate tires, it seems that Michelin may decide to remove them next season. For Dovizioso, who are " I think they are good for safety when conditions are mixed. In my opinion we should keep them, but not use them in racing. »
“I think we can do without it,” adds Red.
His teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, joins Dovizioso in arguing about security, “I think it’s important to keep them. »
