Following some changing weather conditions during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, Sunday was overcast but dry until the final 10 laps of the race, where a few drops of rain delivered even more excitement for more than 100,000 spectators around the legendary TT Circuit in Assen.

Starting from P17, Andrea Dovizioso had a difficult opening lap and went all the way back to 23rd position. From there, he started to build a consistent and pretty fast pace and initiated his launch forward from the fourth lap onwards. He made up position by position and was already back in P19 around halftime of the 26 laps race.

Although some slight rain set in with 10 laps to go, the Italian did his personal best in lap 20 with a 1:33.582 and went up to 17th with three laps to go. On the final lap, Dovi gave everything again to eventually also catch Luca Marini for P16, missing out narrowly on what would have been a well-deserved point.

Now the entire paddock and the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team is looking forward to an important summer break ahead of the championship’s return to action in about five weeks’ time.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04
P 16

“I didn’t have a good start, I lost positions in the first three corners, because there were some confusions in turn one where I went out from the track as everybody was inside. This track is difficult at the beginning to overtake because there is a big disorder about the lines and at the start of the race from the start of the season, I can’t properly brake or stop the bike. I’m not able to be aggressive and not able to gain and use the potential of the bike. Almost every race for me, I’m losing 12 seconds in the first five laps just because you are behind and that is bad. In any case I was able to recover and gain some positions and overtake Bradl and Marini at the end. But I wasn’t able to score any points, so it’s just unlucky.”

Following a Friday of mixed conditions, the sun was back above the legendary TT Circuit in Assen for Saturday’s action at the Dutch Grand Prix. Although temperatures were dropping again just shortly before Qualifying in the afternoon, the track stayed dry and offered perfect conditions today.

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team’s Andrea Dovizioso started with some better feelings into this weekend, having found slight improvements recently. In this morning’s FP3, Dovi managed to go 1.304 seconds quicker than on Friday and could even go a step ahead in Qualifying, where he cut off further 0.337 seconds. He eventually landed in seventh position in Q1, missing out on Q2 by just 0.459 seconds and will begin tomorrow’s 11th race of 2022 from the sixth row on the grid.

Sunday in the Netherlands kicks off with WarmUP in the early morning, followed by the race at 14:10 local time.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04
P 17

“To be honest, I’m not over the moon. I expected a bit more. But we didn’t try many different tyres compared to the others, so we have to go into that now. It looks like it can be better to use something else, as we were very focused on the medium tyre and the setup. I don’t feel super fast, but my lap time in Qualifying was a bit better, so our task from now until tomorrow is to study the tyres.”

The TT Circuit in Assen welcomed teams and riders with some typical mixed conditions today. Following a hot and sunny Thursday, rain hit the Dutch circuit on Friday morning, delivering a full wet Free Practice one and a mixed second session in the afternoon, which started on a wet track, that was drying out towards the end.

Without any rush, WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team’s Andrea Dovizioso clocked several laps in this morning’s wet FP1 to get a feeling in these conditions. In Free Practice two this afternoon, he was one of the many riders switching to slicks in the final 15 minutes and eventually did a personal best of 1:34.650 minutes, which kept him just 0.338 seconds from the top 10 in P15 of the day’s end result.

As usual, the weekend in the Netherlands will continue tomorrow with Free Practice three for the MotoGP class at 09:55 local time, followed by FP3 and Qualifying in the afternoon.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04
P 15

“Towards the end, the practice finished on the dry, which is good, because with that we can start tomorrow morning already with some ideas in mind. It was very important for tomorrow. My feeling in the corners is good, but I still have to re-learn the lines with this bike, as they are completely different to what I was used to. I was behind Pecco (Bagnaia) for some laps, which was helpful for me. Let’s try to start in a good way tomorrow morning!”

Just a few days after the German Grand Prix, the entire MotoGP World Championship is already setting up again at the historical TT Circuit in Assen for the 11th round of the 2022 season. This weekend will also be the final one ahead of the well-deserved summer break after a busy first part of the season.

Andrea Dovizioso, who struggled this year so far, found some small improvements in order to ameliorate his sensations.
After he managed to do a decent 30 laps race at Sachsenring and bring home two World Championship points, Dovi is now eager to resume his move forward to go into the summer break with a good feeling.

As usual, the weekend in the Netherlands kicks off with Free Practice one for the MotoGP class at 09:55 local time this Friday, followed by FP2 at 14:10 local time.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04

“Assen was historically not the best track for me, but I think and I hope the Yamaha YZR-M1 will work well there. Coming there from Germany, I expect definitely more at the TT Circuit than I expected in Sachsenring. My goal before the summer break is to finish in a better position than we achieved so far.”

With 232,202 spectators, the German Grand Prix reached a new record. Also, in terms of temperature the Sachsenring was nearly unbeaten so far as the 30 laps race at the unique circuit was held in scorching hot conditions.

Thereby, WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team’s Andrea Dovizioso grit his teeth for the entire race. The Italian started from P19 and made up one position already in lap one. Step by step, he found his way towards the points scoring position, although he was not feeling fully fit, which means the high temperatures have been even more tough for Dovizioso. Yet, he managed to reach P15 around half distance of the race and made up another place with three laps to go. He eventually saw the chequered flag in 14th, scoring two points and equaling his second-best result of the season so far.

Yet Dovi will have another chance to score in just a few day’s time during the Dutch GP in Assen next weekend ahead of a well-deserved summer break.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04

“I was sick these last two days, so I didn’t expect a lot, also because Sachsenring is one of the most demanding tracks as you have to stay always on the left side of the bike for a long time. But at the end, I was quite consistent. I was struggling a bit with the front pressure, I think something strange happened there, because from the first lap to the last lap the pressure increased a lot, too much. We have to understand now, if this is coming from our garage and if we have to do something different or if it’s coming from the tyre. Anyway, I wanted to fight with Franky (Morbidelli), in the end I couldn’t stay with him, but I was very close, so it was ok.”

With temperatures rising above 30 degrees Celsius, the conditions have been tough from the morning of day two at the Sachsenring in Germany. Yet, Andrea Dovizioso could benefit from the second day of action, trying several things in FP3 and FP4 and then battling with the hot weather in Qualifying early afternoon.

Following his eighth position in Free Practice one on Friday, Dovizioso was unable to be quicker in FP2, but he lowered his lap time in this morning’s third Free Practice by an impressive 1.071 seconds. In hotter conditions during this afternoon’s Qualifying one, he nearly matched his pace from this morning, yet he missed out on the top two by just 0.365 seconds to end up in P9, which means he’ll line up in row seven tomorrow on the grid.

Dovi will have to fight is way up once again come race time on Sunday at 14:00 local time.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04

“It was difficult as it always has been for me on this track. My second run in Free Practice four with the used tyre was quite good because I’m not that far from the second group. This doesn’t mean I have the possibility to race there all the time, but I’m not that far. We made some changes and it worked. In Qualifying I couldn’t make a special lap, but I was always struggling at this track. 19th in the end is not good, but that was the time that was in our capacities. The race will be very difficult, because it’s very hot and we stay always on the left. The rider who manages the tyres better, will be more competitive at the end of the race. It’s not going to be easy to start in the back, but we will work on it.”

Hot conditions welcomed riders and teams at the traditional Sachsenring Circuit in Germany for the 10th round of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, which will see sold out grandstands throughout the weekend. Thereby, the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team rider Andrea Dovizioso experienced an exciting Friday.

Dovi registered a crash in the first session this morning, but went out again quickly to clock the eighth fastest time of the field and eventually finish FP1 well inside the top 10, just 0.251 seconds from the top.

In FP2 the Italian focused on race pace and didn’t use a soft tyre for one fast lap.
He concluded day one in P23, but seeing potential for Free Practice three tomorrow morning at 09:55 local time.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04

“Today I did a different strategy than the other riders, as I stayed out with the used tyre until the end, so I didn’t do a single fast lap time in the afternoon. I don’t have the reference with the soft tyre yet, but with the hard tyre, the grip is very low. I’m not that fast, but I think, the base is better than some of the other races and after the practices of today, it’s clear, that we have to ride in a different way, because you can’t push at the beginning of the race and do 22.5s, as the tyre drops a lot. It was good to understand and now we’ll try to work in a better way tomorrow.”

Two to go ahead of the summer break; Sachsenring calls WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team for round 10.

This weekend will see another classic returning with full grandstands and passionate fans.
The Sachsenring in Germany will host round 10 of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship season and with its unique layout featuring 10 left and three right corners and a total of just 3.7 kilometers length, usually provides some surprises.

Andrea Dovizioso managed to step forward throughout the ninth round in Catalunya, but was unlucky in the race.

Yet, he is interested in what the completely different track in Saxony might hold for him. The Italian aims to finally turn around his rather tricky season at the second-last stop ahead of the summer break this weekend, which kicks off in summerly conditions this Friday at 09.55 local time with Free Practice one.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04

“The Sachsenring is a very different track to what we are used to ride. Last year, Yamaha was struggling a bit at this circuit, so I don’t know what we can expect there. Anyway, during the test last time out in Barcelona, I improved my feeling on the brakes a bit, so let’s see if that can help us this weekend.”

Following the Italian and the Catalan Grand Prix, the entire MotoGP paddock still didn’t rest, but used Monday after the ninth round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for a second post-race test. Like throughout the weekend, conditions have been sunny and heating up quickly from the morning.

With a rather disappointing race in his mind, Dovi returned to action today and left Barcelona optimistic. The Italian tried several different parts and new settings in order to gain some small differences. He did a total of 56 laps throughout Monday and together with his experienced crew found some slight improvements compared to the race weekend.

Now the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP crew gets a short but well-deserved rest ahead of another double header in Germany and the Netherlands, starting at Sachsenring in less than two weeks’ time.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04

“It’s always good to do a test after the race weekend. It’s difficult, because everybody is tired after the race, but I think the morning is the right moment to test. In the afternoon, the grip increases a lot and is completely different than at the race weekend. We didn’t try anything crazy, but I tried the material that the factory team got, the swing arm, the fairing and I felt a bit better with the swing arm. Let’s see if I will have it for the next round. We also tried a different position on the bike and it was a bit better. I was able to play a bit more on the braking, which was positive. We also tried a different maps, small things, but this is what we can do and it was quite good.”

In front of 60.000 passionate fans, Andrea Dovizioso managed to defend his 19th position from the start in the first laps.
In lap five, he moved up one place and only three laps later the Italian was already in 15th, fighting for points again.

Yet he unfortunately suffered a lot with his front tyre, which forced him to return to the pits with seven laps to go and to retire.

Following the back to back rounds in Mugello and Barcelona, it’s still not time to return home for the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team and the rest of the MotoGP grid, as the riders will have a chance to further work on their bikes and performances during an official day of test tomorrow at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

 

Andrea Dovizioso #04
NC

“I’m a bit disappointed, because this weekend overall was quite a bit better. We arrived at the race with an improved feeling, but unfortunately, Bradl crashed in front of me in turn 10 of the first lap and I lost four positions. I couldn’t overtake other riders, I’m not able to accelerate well and on the brake in the front it was really difficult. It was locking and I couldn’t brake, so I couldn’t overtake. I was able to manage the rear tyre in the right way and I knew I could be competitive at the end of the race and catch the group with Alex Marquez in front of me. But when I was behind some other guys with the slipstream, I couldn’t stop the bike, the front logged, I did a long run and it just wasn’t good. I’m disappointed about that, because my speed was a bit better than the others, but it is what it is.”