Andrea Dovizioso is one of the drivers who has experienced the atmosphere of the Mandalika MotoGP race. The following is an exclusive CNNIndonesia.com interview with Andrea Dovizioso.
The former Ducati racer is paving at the Mandalika Circuit with the status as a racer for the WithU RNF Yamaha team. Entering the twilight of a racer, Dovizioso still has ambitions to compete with younger racers.
On the occasion of coming to Indonesia, Dovizioso also admired the beauty of Mandalika and the enthusiasm of the MotoGP fans which he even called too much.
The following is CNNIndonesia.com’s interview with Andrea Dovizioso:
What are your predictions for this season?
It’s still early days, I’m still having a hard time at the moment understanding the potential of the bike and we’re still working on some things so at the moment it’s still difficult to predict.
Yamaha is still having a hard time competing, what’s really going on?
I feel different from other Yamaha riders because they are old while I am new. What I felt last year in the last five races is the same as this year’s character.
The motor is still the same even though I ride a motorbike from the manufacturer. I think there is an area that Yamaha needs to improve because the competitors are very competitive and even though Yamaha won the title last year, which was a crazy title, I think they have to be aggressive to improve an area.
What do you think about the Mandalika Circuit?
Mandalika Circuit is great, it’s great to be here. A short track for us, but overall looks good. We’ll see what happens later, because at the time of the test his condition was not good. If the conditions are normal and the racers can pass all the tracks it will be different and we’ll see what the new asphalt will look like.
The advantages or disadvantages of the Mandalika Circuit?
The layout looks strange there are many changes in direction. There are a lot of fast corners, and that’s good.
How about Indonesian fans?
They’re crazy. I came to an event here some time ago and without the race I was surprised at the support they gave me. They know it all, they follow us, they have passion. Glad to be here to race.
What kind of madness do you know about Indonesian fans?
I don’t know but they are everywhere, they scream every time we are in Jakarta and it’s great to see so many people there.
What do you think of a fan who would sleep in the mosque to see you?
This is really crazy. This is something that is difficult for us to understand because it is too much. I think it’s overkill, but it’s fun.
How much did the number of followers increase after you came to Indonesia?
Nothing hahaha. Nothing because they already follow everyone. So no change.
How does it feel to be the oldest rider in MotoGP?
It’s quite strange because when you can go fast at the start of your career you are the youngest and the years go by and the laps go by but this is reality for everyone, so it’s normal.
Will next year still race MotoGP?
At the moment it is impossible to know. I don’t focus on that because there are other things to understand. I don’t know and I’m not worried about that.
Have you eaten Indonesian food?
Yes, I have but I don’t know the name. But I like to eat food from different countries. Whenever when I travel to another country I like food other than Italian food.
