Dovizioso confident despite starting 13th

The JiR Team Scot Honda rider, who qualified one and a half seconds slower than Fiat Yamaha pole-setter Jorge Lorenzo and was last of the Michelin runners, feels that his race set-up will allow him to have a good pace in the race.

"In any other condition, to start so far back should be considered a bad result," Dovizioso said, "but I have to say that things are very positive as we are in good shape in race trim as we've found the right Michelin tyre that allows me to keep a good, consistent pace.

"We need to work a little bit more on corner entrance speed but I do think we can make a good race. I want to make a good start and try and gain some positions and not lose contact with the leaders, that's my aim early on in tomorrow's race.

"It won't be easy, but in any case I do have a chance to do well thanks to our good race set-up. Jerez is a difficult circuit to overtake on, which is why my strategy must be to attack all the time."

He added: "As usual the team has worked very hard and from this morning to this afternoon we improved a lot and this hard work allows me to say that we still have the potential of a good race tomorrow."