Ducati superstar Andrea Dovizioso failed to gain podium once again in the Catalunya Grand Prix in Barcelona on Sunday night. He crashed after ten laps, a big blow for him who has failed to finish three of his last four races.
The Italian rider admitted he was running little over a second behind the race leading Lorenzo and Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez when he fell off his bike at the hairpin-like Turn-5 left-harder.
“I was at the limit, I did not want them to escape and it was a moment when we pushed all three strong. I was a little below,” said Dovizoso after the race.
“With these tyres, it’s difficult to manage grip. I made a mistake, I got too strong. In these moments we must remain calm and try to understand. There’s no alternative.” Dovizioso added.
Dovizioso has been in poor performance – his 66 points would put him in eight place in MotoGP standings, equal on points with Lorenzo, who was confident he can return to form on home soil Barcelona last weekend.
“I have not seen Jorge’s data yet, but he’s been driving differently. For conditions that I found today, with little grip especially braking, I was at the limit. I was two tenths.” Dovizioso said.
“There was a way to drive differently and that’s what we have to do. Unfortunately we go home with another zero and it’s very heavy, but now it’s done. We must understand, we are fast and often it is the details.
Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi celebrate on the podium in Catalunya GP. (Source:www.twitter.com)
“Today’s conditions have been special. When you have a driver close to you, it’s never easy to beat him. But it is also an advantage because it forces you to improve especially when you see it doing things different and better than you.
“Try a bike like Lorenzo’s? I don’t think so, even if I am open to everything. Everyone has his own way, he needed certain things. We are still playing victories now. Obviously, when the goal changes and you go home with a zero, it’s devastating mentally.
“But when you are fast, you can get everything with a few tips. It takes 1-2 days to recover. Now it is important to understand with the team. We have data to analyse. We work to go to Assen and do better. We will recover from this situation of failure.” Dovizioso added.
