Qatar GP – Dovizioso (1st): "Our bike is much better"

First race of the 2018 season and first victory for Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), who brings his total MotoGP success to nine thanks to a perfectly mastered race at the Qatar GP. Debriefing.

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati (5th in qualifying and 1st in race) : "My start was not wonderful, I was far enough away. But I decided to take my time to come back up because I didn‘t want to hit my tires and my strategy was the right one", explains the transalpine. "You just have to see my last laps: when I tried to escape, I couldn’t because my rear tire was totally destroyed".

• Qatar GP :
• Qatar GP :
• Qata GPr: 

“Regarding the last corner, I think I have to change my strategy because I think Marc has fully understood my way of acting! To be honest, I couldn’t have done otherwise. I’m happy to have been able to repeat that, even if it was more complicated this time because Marc had closed the trajectory more and there was much less space ".

"But I was able to take advantage of my Ducati’s engine to keep first place (for 27 thousandths, editor’s note!). I’m happy because we confirmed our good work this winter. Our bike is much better than last season".

• Qatar GP :

Site analysis : Andrea Dovizioso resumes the 2018 season as he finished the previous one: in the fight with the defending champion, Marc Marquez! The Italian, big favorite in this opening race because he was immediately competitive at Losail, won his first MotoGP victory in Qatar. "Dovi" thus starts the season at the top of the championship, for the first time in his career in the premier class.

As always, his performance reflects a keen sense of strategy and perfect composure: the n ° 4 remained calm despite an average start from 5th place, which saw him lose several places while Zarco, Marquez and Rossi were taking the tangent. Some would have been impatient, but not "DesmoDovi": sure of his rhythm, the transalpine rider followed his course until he joined, then passed the leaders..

• Qatar GP – Finish : 

A race perfectly controlled, in short, by the native of Forlimpopoli, with the exception of the last laps: Andrea Dovizioso thought he would be able to escape after taking the lead in Zarco with five laps to go, but the wear on his rear tire prevented him from doing so. Another reason for astonishment for the pilot who will celebrate his 32 years in a few days (March 23): to find himself neck and neck in the last corner with Marc Marquez !

Although he sensed that the Honda official would respond, "Dovi" harbored some doubts about Marquez’s ability to stay in touch with him until the end. Legitimate doubts because by his opponent’s own admission, the n ° 93 took a lot of risks to achieve it: "Andrea deserves this victory, he was simply faster than us", acknowledges Marc Marquez sportingly..

Wheel in wheel in the last lap, the two strong men of the 2017 championship then delivered their now "traditional" finish in the last turn, again won by the Ducati rider in a maneuver similar to that of the final of the races in and at . "It’s deja vu", confirms Marquez, a handsome player, who hopes, however, that "it will change next time!"

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