Aragon Grand Prix crucial test for Ducati's MotoGP progress
MotoGP's Aragon Grand Prix this weekend will be a crucial "test" of Ducati's progress, reckons Andrea Dovizioso


The Motorland circuit has been a Marc Marquez stronghold for the last two years, and was one of Dovizioso's weakest venues in his 2017 title bid as he struggled to seventh there 12 months ago.
But following a third 2018 win at Misano, which was preceded by a strong private test at Aragon, Dovizioso says he can head into this weekend with optimism.
Given that Ducati still struggled at the Sachsenring, another one of its weaker 2017 venues too, he thinks Aragon will be revealing for the team.
"About Aragon, I think we can be fast," said Dovizioso.
"In the test we were good, but for sure Marc wants to win there, Marc will be strong there.
"But it will be a very good test for us to understand our level.
"On paper it's another track well suited to Jorge [Lorenzo] and I imagine that he is wants to recover fast [from crashing at Misano], especially because he was strong there last year.
"But especially I expect Marc to be very strong with the Honda."
Despite taking victory at Misano, Dovizioso lies 67 points down on Marquez in the title standings with six races to go, his title bid having been ruined by three DNFs in the first half of the season.
Dovizioso does not think Marquez will put too much on the line to win at Aragon.

"In the last three years he has learned how to manage a championship," said Dovizioso of the reigning champion.
"He decides when to attack, but he can save himself because he doesn't risk his life to win.
"When the conditions are right he tries, otherwise he is there close behind like he was [at Misano]. His behaviour has paid off over time."
Having long since given up on trying to overhaul Marquez, Dovizioso said Ducati's focus is already on 2019.
"We try to stay concentrated on obtaining the best results, because against Marc it's difficult," Dovizioso said.
"Now we are working in a good way, trying to improve the bike to be as competitive as possible, without thinking about the championship.
"But all this work will be useful for the next championship."

Scott Redding accepts his MotoGP career will end after Aprilia
Avintia MotoGP team didn't just sign me for money - Karel Abraham

Latest news
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.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.