For the Italian, who returns to competition after a ten-month sabbatical, the results do not condition the five races ahead of him this year, which he will use as preparation for next season, in which he will have a full factory official motorcycle.
Dovizioso has improved by more than two seconds from Friday, when he lapped in 1:35.2, to Saturday, when he was able to do it in 33.0 in both FP3 and Q1, although always in the farthest positions on the time sheet.
In fact, the former Ducati rider will start on the grid from last position, something that under normal conditions he had never experienced in his long career in the World Championship.
“It was nice this morning to feel better in terms of position on the bike. But it’s normal, day by day it will be like this. I was able to push a little more and get closer to the others. In the race I will try to stay close to receive as much feedback as possible and prepare you in the best way for next week’s test, which will be very important”, he explained at the end of the day.
Dovizioso does not give importance to improvement, which he sees as a normal process.
“Yesterday I didn’t push because I still couldn’t brake hard or go into the corners to the limit. It is normal that the situation improves when you find a more comfortable position, “he said.
The Italian rides a Yamaha M1 again nine years later, when he was in Tech3 with that machinery.
“Now I can start to understand the bike a little more and I think its DNA is very similar to 2012,” he said.
With great experience in the World Championship, the rider explained some sensations about riding this M1, a motorcycle that starts from the 2019 base with B specifications.
“It has to be ridden completely the opposite of how the Ducati was driven, so it will take some time. There are positive aspects, braking, entering and in the middle of the curve. But to be really fast, you have to be able to be in the center of the corner with speed so that when you pull it out fast. This is very different from what I used to do in the past, so I have to go little by little, “he argued.
One point in favor for Dovizioso is being able to count on a track engineer with experience and knowledge of Yamaha like Ramón Forcada .
” Forcada is a different age than Pigiamino (Alberto Giribuola, his technical boss at Ducati) and that is why he has a different approach. Right now it is good to have Ramón, because he knows the bike very well and knows everything that has been done on them in recent years. He makes specific changes and you have no doubts about these things. It’s great to have him by my side”, admitted Dovi, who already said on Thursday that he would continue to count on the Catalan next year.
The problem for Dovi, until the end of the season, is to go with a different bike to that of the three remaining riders of the brand.
“Unfortunately I can’t compare my data too much with the other Yamahas, because I ride a different machine, but the key now is to change my riding style. The important moment will be to be able to have the new bike (2022) in the end-of-season tests ”, in Jerez.
Misano had always been a carpet for the Yamahas, but this Saturday the Ducatis were a roller.
“Not only has the M1 changed, everything in MotoGP has changed. Four or five years ago we knew that a bike was going strong on a certain track and not going well on others. Now it is impossible to say. Quartararo was fighting for victory in Austria . So we are talking about a different MotoGP, it is not like three years ago. You have to adapt to this, there is no alternative.”
On Friday, Valentino Rossi , Dovizioso’s teammate and who will start penultimate on the grid, said he found the comments of his new neighbor in the box very interesting.
“Honestly we are not working together. The data is shared by all the drivers of the brand without any problem. As always, Valentino is curious about the technique, so we talk a bit. I was curious to hear my sensations. But, honestly, let’s say that I’ve seen Valentino go more for the site in the past, “he concluded joking between laughs.
(Click on this link or on the image to see the photos of Andrea Dovizioso’s debut with Yamaha at the 2021 MotoGP San Marino GP)
