Argentinian MotoGP clash caused by Petrucci, Dovizioso believes
Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso says he holds Danilo Petrucci primarily responsible for creating the incident that ended his run in MotoGP's Argentinian Grand Prix, and not Aleix Espargaro
For the second year in a row, Dovizioso was taken out of the Termas de Rio Hondo race by another rider, this time being hit by Espargaro at Turn 5 on the 15th lap of 25, after Espargaro lost the front end of his Aprilia.
But the Italian says he does not blame Espargaro for the crash, as he believes the way Pramac Ducati rider Petrucci was riding to defend sixth just ahead was the main catalyst.
"When I was behind Danilo and he had finished completely the rear tyre, he was riding in a bad way," said Dovizioso.
"He stopped a lot of riders, braking in a strange way, I think too much.
"Everybody tries to use his own style, but in the way he uses it, it was very bad.
"I tried to overtake him inside and he braked later and closed the door.
"Like this it's very bad because you don't give the possibility to do something.
"You can't brake like him, he's heavier and he's able to brake harder, this not fair. It wasn't over the limit, but this is not fair.
"That created the crash. I almost hit him, and Aleix made a mistake for that manoeuvre.
"For sure the mistake was from Aleix, but everything leading up to that was Danilo."
After Dovizioso came a close second to Maverick Vinales in Qatar, both factory Ducatis failed to score in Argentina, as Jorge Lorenzo crashed out at the first corner after hitting the Suzuki of Andrea Iannone.
The incidents aside, Dovizioso said he also lacked the pace he enjoyed in the season opener due to a lack of rear grip across a frustrating weekend.
"After the race we confirmed the limit was the grip on the rear," said the Italian.
"Every practice, the limit was that, and in the race the limit was that.
"I couldn't brake as hard as I wanted or I could, because the bike was able to brake harder but the limit was the slide on the braking.
"The bike was quite good, I didn't lose too much, but on the exit I was really bad, so I struggled the whole race.
"With that speed, anyway, I was able to fight for fifth position."
Argentinian MotoGP penalty too harsh, Suzuki's Iannone believes
KTM MotoGP programme 'beginning to see the light' after scoring
Toyota WRC boss Latvala plotting rally return
Toyota World Rally Championship boss Jari-Matti Latvala is plotting a competitive rally return with an outing behind the wheel of Toyota’s new Rally2 GR Yaris.
No Ferrari number one driver, but Vasseur won't hesitate to "take action"
New Ferrari Formula 1 boss Fred Vasseur says there will be no number one driver at the team this season, but he won't hesitate to "take action" if needed.
Aitken ends Williams F1 role to focus on sportscars
Jack Aitken has announced he and the Williams Formula 1 team have parted ways ahead of the 2023 season as he pursues a career in sportscar racing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
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.