Dovizioso: Ducati needs a change of direction
ByAutoSport
Updated 16/05/2016 at 12:36 GMT+1
Ducati needs to find a new direction with its MotoGP bike to ensure it gets results, Andrea Dovizioso believes.
Italian driver Andrea Dovizioso of the Ducati Team competes in the Qatar Moto Grand Prix race to win second place on March 20, 2016 at the Losail International Circuit in the Qatari capital Doha. Spanish driver Jorge Lorenzo won the Qatar MotoGP
Image credit: AFP
The Desmosedici represents an improved package again in 2016, demonstrating the pace to at least reach the podium at every venue, other than Jerez where Ducati struggled with Michelin's rear tyre.
But results have gone begging, primarily due to crashes, with Andrea Iannone's woes more self-inflicted than Dovizioso's as both riders wait for the call on who will partner the incoming Jorge Lorenzo next year.
Both Ducati riders fell at Le Mans in crashes they attributed to the front tyre, and Dovizioso outlined his view that work should now focus on being able to use the existing speed.
"I think [Le Mans] was an important race, an important weekend to understand what we have to do for the future," he said. "The positive thing is we have the speed and this is so important in MotoGP.
"But my opinion in this moment is we have to think in a different way. Until now we tried to be faster and faster and faster, and we get the speed, so this is really good. Now we have the pace, but we don't have the consistency.
"I believe we use the rear tyre too much, we use too much energy to be fast, so it's difficult to keep for the race. To be in front, to stay with in this moment the Yamaha riders, we have to be consistent.
"Our goal is to try to be fast as now, with less energy and aggressiveness to the tyre. Maybe it's a mix of many components, the tyres we have now, the new bike from this year, blah, blah, blah, but this is the reality.
"I believe we have to analyse very well what happened in the race, try to be better in some areas because always the same riders are in front and there is a reason."
Yamaha's M1 has again been the class of the MotoGP field so far this year, taking three of the five wins between Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.
"I think compared to Yamaha we have less grip on the rear," Dovizioso said. "This is for sure one point where we have to improve. Second is the turning of the corner, they are a little bit better.
"I think they are able to be fast and not use too much power and use just the front flowing through the corners. Lorenzo is special to do that, also and to be faster with the new tyres, Valentino maybe not every time, but in the race he is always there.
"So with that style it's always good and it's my opinion of how to ride the bike."
Return to form but Iannone crashes from second behind Lorenzo, Dovizioso falls from third - in concert with Marc Marquez - after being passed by Rossi
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