Andrea Dovizioso, started from the front row after setting third quickest time in qualifying, had an unfortunate race. After a good start, the Italian crossed lap 1 in second and then began a terrific scrap with Marquez. Unfortunately a problem with the rear sprocket of his GP15 first caused him to slow and then enter the pits on lap 14. Despite retiring from his home race, Dovizioso holds onto third place in the championship with 83 points.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – DNF

“Today went wrong right from the start with my mistake in this morning’s warm-up. I got a good start in the race and I was in amongst the frontrunners but I had to retire because my GP15 had a problem with excessive wear of the rear sprocket. It was a real pity, because I reckon I could have fought for the podium, and seeing as we were at Mugello, I was really banking on doing so. But above all I didn’t score any points for the championship, which for me is the most important thing.”

The first day of free practice for the TIM Italian GP at Mugello began well for Andrea Dovizioso, who ended today’s two 45-minute sessions in first place.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’47.479 (1st)
“I am very happy with how this weekend has started for us and above all with the time I set at the end of the session. We are quick and this is fundamental in the search for the best set-up. We are still carrying out some tests in order to improve certain aspects of the Desmosedici GP15 that will allow us to be competitive right until the end of the race. Now we must concentrate on the analysis of the data so that we can have a clear starting-point to work on for tomorrow.”

After two days of testing at Mugello and the fourth podium in five races of the season in Le Mans, Dovi is arriving at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, the spectacular circuit in the heart of Tuscany, for the TIM Italian Grand Prix, the sixth round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship and always one of the most popular and prestigious events on the calendar.

For the Ducati Team rider it will be a special occasion, seeing as it is the home race for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer and, as always, numerous Ducatisti are expected to pack into the Ducati Grandstand at the Correntaio corner to cheer on their heroes.

The TIM Italian GP gets underway on Friday morning with first free practice at 9.55 CET, and the 23-lap race is scheduled for Sunday at 14.00 CET.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)- 3rd (83 points)

“I believe that we can be competitive at Mugello because we have tested at this track recently and we were quick. In addition the team is very motivated: we are at Mugello and this is Ducati’s home race, so we all have that extra incentive to do well. At the last race however we were missing a little ‘something’ and so we are going to have to continue to work hard throughout this weekend.”

Andrea Dovizioso produced yet another fine performance at Le Mans to step onto the podium in the French Grand Prix with a third place finish. The Italian rider, who started from the front row after going second in qualifying, got off to a good start and crossed the line at the end of lap 1 in second place behind Lorenzo, the eventual winner of the French race. Dovizioso held on to second until lap 13, when he was passed by Rossi, and he took the chequered flag in third. Andrea is now third overall in the Riders’ championship standings.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)- 3rd

“I am happy because it is always very important to score a podium finish and the one I got today confirms once again that we are competitive. The conditions were good, but after the mid-point of the race I was no longer able to keep the pace of Lorenzo. Unfortunately the tyre had a drop in grip and I was not able to be as efficient as in the first half of the race: I thought my speed was good enough to get me to the flag and allow me to fight for the win, but it was not possible. This confirms that we are still missing a little something and, even though we have to be satisfied with another podium, we still have to work hard and make further improvements to the GP15.”

Andrea Dovizioso put in yet another good performance today in French GP qualifying at Le Mans. The Italian powered to the second-quickest time in the 15-minute qualifying session and will start from the front row of the grid for Sunday’s 28-lap race. In the morning’s third free practice session, Dovizioso had been fourth quickest in the dry conditions, but in the early afternoon it started to rain at the French circuit and FP4 took place in the wet, even though it dried out towards the end of the session. In Q2 all the riders fitted slicks and Dovizioso set his quickest time using an extra-soft rear tyre.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)- 1’32.749 (2nd)

“I am not completely satisfied with my qualifying lap, because after the rain I was not able to prepare myself mentally and even physically I was feeling pretty tense. In any case the front row is fine and it is also very important because in MotoGP it’s always essential to start as far up the grid as possible. I could probably have been a bit closer to Marquez and try and go for pole, but in any case I set a good lap time, and this is the result of the good work me and the team have been doing throughout the weekend. For the race I’m starting with a good set-up and I am happy with my pace, but it’s not easy to interpret how our rivals are going and so I don’t know what to expect from them. In any case we are quick, and so tomorrow we’ll see who goes better over 28 laps.”

Andrea Dovizioso’s Le Mans weekend got off to a good start, with the Italian ending the first day of free practice for the French GP in third place. The Ducati Team rider was very quick in the morning session, when he topped the timesheets, and then in FP2 he set third quickest time while showing above all an excellent pace.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)- 1’33.553 (3rd)

“I am very happy with the feeling I have established with my Desmosedici GP15 here at Le Mans. The test at Mugello proved to be really useful: now I can be quick with ease and this allows us to work well, to do the required testing and to be able to improve on the small details that are so important when it comes to the race. I am satisfied with today’s performance, but for sure we still have to work on improving the stability of the bike.”

Two days of private testing for the Ducati Team rider at Mugello concluded yesterday at 1 pm in the afternoon, with Andrea Dovizioso focussed his efforts above all on the search for the right settings and electronic strategies for the Italian GP, which takes place on this circuit at the end of May, while further positive tests were carried out with the chassis modifications introduced at Jerez, which did not produce the expected results on the Spanish track.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)- 1’47.8, 91 laps total

“I am very happy with this test, because it helped us to understand the Desmosedici GP15 better. In the first four GPs of this year, we have always tried to improve the bike, but it is very complicated to do this during the race weekend. Instead, having a day and a half to do so, in ideal weather conditions, gives you the possibility of knowing that you can work in the best possible way. The test confirmed to us that at Jerez we did not go in the right direction, and so we made a few modifications, found the right feeling again and we are fast here once again. For sure, we still have room to improve, but we’ve done a good job in any case and so we go to Le Mans feeling pretty confident.”

Andrea Dovizioso got off to a positive start in the Spanish Grand Prix weekend at Jerez de la Frontera, notching up the fifth quickest time on the combined timesheets.
During the morning session, DesmoDovi worked to obtain the best possible set-up for his Desmosedici GP15 machine, only making use of rear tyres with the hardest compound available. Dovizioso ended FP1 in fourth place.
In the afternoon, with the air temperature considerably higher than the morning, the Ducati Team man continued with the set-up work on his GP15 bikes, and towards the end of the session, went out on track with the softer rear tyre option, setting fourth quickest time in FP2. In the combined standings (FP1 and FP2) he was fifth.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04)- 1’39.535 (5th)

“Today went well and I am pleased: after the good sensations in Argentina here we have a good pace and we are also quick on this track. We still have work to do, because here at Jerez the drop in the tyre towards mid-race is quite significant and it’s always very difficult for everyone to find the ideal set-up, with the aim of being constant for the entire 27-lap race. We did some major modifications and we also found some positive aspects, and now we have to get a good overall picture of the situation, but it was a positive first day for me.”