The final testing session of 2017 for the Ducati Team rider came to a close yesterday at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Spain. Andrea Dovizioso was out on track yesterday and today to try out some developments for the 2018 bike and also to get acclimatized to the new tyres provided by Michelin.
Dovizioso completed a total of 84 laps, setting a best time of 1’37.663.
Following the compulsory winter break that lasts almost two months, the Ducati Team rider will next be back on track in the official MotoGP tests scheduled for Sepang (Malaysia) from 28 to 30 January 2018.

After completing the professional commitments, Andrea will take part at two charitable initiatives:
– November 25-26, Ride For Life, a two-day race organized by the Onlus Riders4Riders at the Motocross Village in Ferrara to raise funds for the research of medullary injury treatment. For more information, visit www.riders4riders.com
– December 3 charity competition at MX Rivarolo Park and this year the entire proceeds of the day will be donated to the little Mietta, through the association smile for Mietta. For more information, visit the websites
www.ilsorrisodimietta.it and www.mxrivarolo.it

A two-day post-race MotoGP test session concluded this afternoon at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo circuit, marking the start of the 2018 season.
After two days, Andrea Dovizioso, who did a total of 72 laps, set his fastest lap of 1’30.850 yesterday.
The Ducati Team rider used the test to carry out comparisons aimed at defining the details of the Desmosedici GP18, the debut of which is scheduled for the first test of 2018 at Sepang from 28 to 30 January.
Dovizioso will be back on track next week at Jerez de la Frontera for a further two days of testing on 22-23 November before the winter break.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’30.850
“We took advantage of these two days to try out various details and solutions useful for the preparation of the 2018 bike. We were able to finish the work programme that had been decided on together with our engineers and also to test the new 2018 Öhlins forks. Now we are waiting for the final test of the year at Jerez next week, where we’ll be working to define the last details of the new bike before the winter break.”

The Ducati Team Italian rider has started the Valencia Grand Prix weekend in the best possible way. At the end of the first day of free practice Andrea Dovizioso has ended up in third place. This morning the riders took to the track in sunny but cold conditions (12° C air/track) and at the end of FP1 Dovizioso was classified fourth.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’30.949 (3rd)
“It was rather a productive day, because we tried a number of different solutions and got a good idea for the race. I’m pleased with my speed but not so much with the feeling I have with the bike at the moment, because for the race you will have to ride smoother than today. Marquez and Pedrosa showed that for the moment they have the best race pace, but at any rate I think we still have room to improve, by working on the electronics and the chassis tomorrow.”

Eight months and seventeen races since the championship got underway in March at the Losail circuit in Qatar, the MotoGP teams and riders have arrived in Spain for the final round of the season, the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana – a.k.a. the Valencia Grand Prix – at the Ricardo Tormo circuit near Cheste on the outskirts of Valencia. The track runs in a counter-clockwise direction with the bikes getting little opportunity to reach top speed on the twisty layout.
It will be a very important weekend for Andrea Dovizioso, who comes off the back of a splendid 1-2 win at Sepang, because the Italian is now the only man who can stop Marquez from taking the title. Twenty-one points separate ‘DesmoDovi’ from the Spanish champion, which means that to take the world title, Andrea needs to win the race with Marquez finishing twelfth or lower. In any case 2017 has been an extraordinary season for Dovizioso, with six wins to his name plus one second and one third place.
Andrea has taken part in nine MotoGP races at Valencia, with his best result being a third place in 2011, while last year he finished the race in seventh place after starting from the second row.
The Valencia weekend schedule gets underway on Friday morning with the first free practice session at 9.55 am, while the 30-lap race starts at 14.00 CET on Sunday.
As always, the Sunday race will be followed by two days of MotoGP official testing on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 November, which mark the start of the 2018 season.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 2nd (261 points)
“We come to Valencia with a big gap in the points from Marquez and on a track where he goes very well, so we know it’s going to be tough. The only strategy for me, with this gap, is to try and win and then see where my rival finishes. In this period we are going strongly at almost every track and so we have to try and approach this weekend with optimism, as we have always done recently.”