Joined Jun 2008
1K Posts | 365+
USA
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
That was a bad translation. Actually he was trying to sound youthful by telling the press he was into the band One Direction.
Joined Jun 2008
1K Posts | 365+
USA
OK I see the light now. Petrucci for champ!
(Those Ducatis must be cheating somehow. Right?)
Yeah, he came over here and saw my comment.
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
Interview with Dovi:
Andrea Dovizioso says Ducati's sweep of the top four positions on the final day of the Sepang MotoGP test is not an accurate reflection of the Italian marque's current strength.
Dovizioso ended up fourth-fastest on the third and final day of running at Sepang, 0.299s slower than his new factory team-mate Danilo Petrucci, with Pramac pair Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller ending up second and third.
While Ducati had previously suggested it would wait until the final pre-season test in Qatar to try out a refreshed aerodynamic fairing, both Dovizioso and Petrucci were sent out with new bodywork on Friday.
"We did a good lap time, the track was really fast, a lot of riders did special lap times, it is nice to see.
"Every year we make the test here so we know very well this track and the lap times. To see 1m58s, it's the first time for me, and I am really happy to see four Ducatis on top, this is nice, and a nice confirmation of our base.
"It doesn't mean we are the fastest for the race because it doesn't show the reality, the final result, but I am happy."
Dovizioso added that Petrucci's unofficial new record time did not come as a surprise to him, considering the improving condition of the Sepang track over the course of the test.
"The feeling with the new fairing is good, I am happy about that," said Dovizioso.
"We are all surprised at the times we did, but it did not rain for three days and so the track has improved a lot," he said. "But I'm not amazed at Danilo's time, because he had shown good speed in the past.
"In this test he worked to figure out where to improve from a race perspective, which is what matters to him right now. He has more potential than what he has shown up to today."
Petrucci, who crashed with his new fairing on his out-lap and therefore didn't get chance to sample it properly, likewise downplayed the significance of his lap time, which surpassed the unofficial record set by predecessor Jorge Lorenzo at last year's test.
"We are okay to be in the top five," said Petrucci. "I don't [know] if it is enough for the podium because Valentino [Rossi], if you remember last year's race, he was absolutely incredible.
"[Alex] Rins is very fast when the conditions are very hot, [Marc] Marquez [there's] no need to talk [about]. So fighting for the top five is still hard and lap time doesn't count too much.
"For sure I did a very good lap time but the conditions were good.
"Fortunately the race will be in November, so we have still some time to work, but at the moment the hottest condition is the weakest point for us."
Andrea Dovizioso says Ducati's sweep of the top four positions on the final day of the Sepang MotoGP test is not an accurate reflection of the Italian marque's current strength.
Dovizioso ended up fourth-fastest on the third and final day of running at Sepang, 0.299s slower than his new factory team-mate Danilo Petrucci, with Pramac pair Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller ending up second and third.
While Ducati had previously suggested it would wait until the final pre-season test in Qatar to try out a refreshed aerodynamic fairing, both Dovizioso and Petrucci were sent out with new bodywork on Friday.
"We did a good lap time, the track was really fast, a lot of riders did special lap times, it is nice to see.
"Every year we make the test here so we know very well this track and the lap times. To see 1m58s, it's the first time for me, and I am really happy to see four Ducatis on top, this is nice, and a nice confirmation of our base.
"It doesn't mean we are the fastest for the race because it doesn't show the reality, the final result, but I am happy."
Dovizioso added that Petrucci's unofficial new record time did not come as a surprise to him, considering the improving condition of the Sepang track over the course of the test.
"The feeling with the new fairing is good, I am happy about that," said Dovizioso.
"We are all surprised at the times we did, but it did not rain for three days and so the track has improved a lot," he said. "But I'm not amazed at Danilo's time, because he had shown good speed in the past.
"In this test he worked to figure out where to improve from a race perspective, which is what matters to him right now. He has more potential than what he has shown up to today."
Petrucci, who crashed with his new fairing on his out-lap and therefore didn't get chance to sample it properly, likewise downplayed the significance of his lap time, which surpassed the unofficial record set by predecessor Jorge Lorenzo at last year's test.
"We are okay to be in the top five," said Petrucci. "I don't [know] if it is enough for the podium because Valentino [Rossi], if you remember last year's race, he was absolutely incredible.
"[Alex] Rins is very fast when the conditions are very hot, [Marc] Marquez [there's] no need to talk [about]. So fighting for the top five is still hard and lap time doesn't count too much.
"For sure I did a very good lap time but the conditions were good.
"Fortunately the race will be in November, so we have still some time to work, but at the moment the hottest condition is the weakest point for us."
Joined Mar 2015
2K Posts | 337+
Chertsey, Surrey, UK
I'm having a laugh at the so called this should be good for 2019, 1 year ago what happened, day 1 Pedrosa was on top, day 2 it was Yamaha and day 3 it was Ducati, fast forward to the end of the season, Pedrosa retires terrible season, Yamaha, almost vanishes from the top step and Ducati wins the wooden spoon for 2nd.
Anyone want to have a bet as to what happens this season?
Me my monies on MM to embarrass the rest again, yet he was the number one crasher last year with 23.
Anyone want to have a bet as to what happens this season?
Me my monies on MM to embarrass the rest again, yet he was the number one crasher last year with 23.
Yes, it means nothing.
I think we're just hanging on to any sort of action before the season starts and meh, so we get a bit overexcited. We all know that it means nothing. But we can't help over analysing.
Well, I can't.
The start of a new season is amazing and anything can happen. So excited and so looking forward to it.
The lazy money is indeed on MM and bets against are a bit foolish given his run of form.
JLo cannot be ruled out, regardless of whether he's thought of as pouty and lacking personality.
The Suzukis finished last year so strong - I don't think you can rule Rins out altogether...
Ducati are progressing in leaps and bounds and were so close the last couple of years that they can't be ruled out.
KTM - looking good and were also getting faster last year
Yamahas - much as the riders irritate me, they "appear" to have made a step forward. I also cannot forget the year Maverick did brilliantly in testing then nothing, so who knows what can happen this year.
It's a new season and almost anything is possible. That's why it's exciting and that's why we wanna overthink everything and pin vague hopes on testing.
Folks can sit back and smugly know that testing means nothing and yet have their own guesses at what the season can bring. Folks can get over excited about practically meaningless testing while eagerly awaiting the actual season proper to start.
Neither are wrong
I think we're just hanging on to any sort of action before the season starts and meh, so we get a bit overexcited. We all know that it means nothing. But we can't help over analysing.
Well, I can't.
The start of a new season is amazing and anything can happen. So excited and so looking forward to it.
The lazy money is indeed on MM and bets against are a bit foolish given his run of form.
JLo cannot be ruled out, regardless of whether he's thought of as pouty and lacking personality.
The Suzukis finished last year so strong - I don't think you can rule Rins out altogether...
Ducati are progressing in leaps and bounds and were so close the last couple of years that they can't be ruled out.
KTM - looking good and were also getting faster last year
Yamahas - much as the riders irritate me, they "appear" to have made a step forward. I also cannot forget the year Maverick did brilliantly in testing then nothing, so who knows what can happen this year.
It's a new season and almost anything is possible. That's why it's exciting and that's why we wanna overthink everything and pin vague hopes on testing.
Folks can sit back and smugly know that testing means nothing and yet have their own guesses at what the season can bring. Folks can get over excited about practically meaningless testing while eagerly awaiting the actual season proper to start.
Neither are wrong
Joined Nov 2015
242 Posts | 144+
Australia
Agreed @Furiosa . Testing is a petri dish primed for speculation. We have been starved of Motogp action all through the off-season and finally the drought is broken with a taste of new rider/team combinations. I realise this, however I can't help but get sucked into trying to make assumptions either.
Joined Aug 2007
11K Posts | 3K+
Pomona NY
