Andrea Dovizioso: Back-to-back MotoGP wins 'not reality' for Ducati
Andrea Dovizioso believes his back-to-back MotoGP wins for Ducati do not reflect the "reality" of the Italian manufacturer's competitive situation
After his victory on home turf at Mugello last weekend, Dovizioso became the first Ducati rider since 2010 to score two successive wins as he triumphed in Barcelona.
The Italian ran second for the first half of the race behind Dani Pedrosa's Honda before making his move with 10 laps to go and then pulling away in a race marked by high temperatures and extreme tyre wear.
Dovizioso, who ultimately won by 3.5 seconds in front Marc Marquez, described the win as "strange" because - unlike his Mugello triumph - it was a result of managing his pace over the 25-lap race rather than an outright speed advantage.
The 31-year-old pointed out that the Ducati still suffers from the same limitations as it has done throughout the early stages of the 2017 campaign in relation to turning and mid-corner speed.
"I don't want to complain in this moment, but still we have to improve the same things," said Dovizioso.
"Mugello is a good track for us, also last year and the year before.
"It's a different story, and we were fastest this year, but today was a strange race, it wasn't about the speed.
"Nobody could push because the tyre didn't have grip, and I have an advantage on the straight because my engine is stronger.
"So it's not the reality, I believe, unfortunately.
"We still need something different in a few areas, the turning is the same limit as four races ago.
"I don't want to speak in a negative way, but I'm realistic."
Dovizioso's wins have moved him up to second in the championship standings, only seven points behind Yamaha's Maverick Vinales, who had a subdued run to 10th at Barcelona.
But Dovizioso urged his Ducati team to focus on fixing the Desmosedici bike's remaining weaknesses, rather than getting fixated on the small gap between him and the top of the points table.
"If we want to fight for the championship, like we said [we're aiming for] before the season, we have to improve some things to be competitive," he added.
"In some races we took 25 seconds [to the leaders] this year.
"You can't fight for the championship like this, because the competitors are too strong, both the bikes and the riders.
"I'm realistic about that, I'm not too excited now.
"We still miss something, we have to be focused on that, not look at the championship and being seven points behind the leader."
Barcelona MotoGP: Dovizioso makes it two wins in a row for Ducati
Tally of troubled weekends are a big drama for Yamaha rider Vinales
Double F1 race winner Jean Pierre Jabouille has died
Former French Formula 1 driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille has died on Thursday at age 80, French media have reported.
IMSA champion Jarvis to contest full ELMS season with United Autosports
Reigning IMSA Sportscar Championship title-winner Oliver Jarvis will contest the European Le Mans Series with United Autosports alongside Formula 2 convert Marino Sato, in addition to the World Endurance Championship.
20 years on: Porsche’s 911 GT Daytona 24 Hours giant-killing relived
IMSA’s new GTP class for LMDh cars had a more auspicious debut last weekend than the Daytona Prototypes that arrived in 2003. Back then, they were humbled by a GT Porsche 911, which won the Floridian sportscar classic by nine laps.
Entries open for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award story
Entries have opened for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award, with budding motorsport engineers invited to apply for the revamped prize.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew-members absorbed into other operations
How one MotoGP team went from title fights to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is MotoGP's comeback king ready to reclaim his throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Autosport
How MotoGP’s underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Autosport why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of competition more than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
The Ducati rider who is much more than just the brother of a MotoGP legend
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Autosport – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend
Ranking the top 10 riders of MotoGP 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Autosport picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.