It was another luckless day for Dovizioso, who started from row 2 thanks to the fourth quickest time he set in qualifying yesterday. The Italian completed the first five laps in fifth position but was passed by Viñales and then slowed by a problem with his Desmosedici GP’s water pump on lap 10, which forced him to retire.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team # 04) – DNF
“It was a pity because another no-points score in the championship was the last thing I needed. We had a problem with the water pump: some water came out and finished on the rear wheel and I almost crashed three times so had to retire. If however we try and look at the positives, we are working well, my feeling with the bike is good and this is the most important thing for me, even though it’s true that here at Jerez we never managed to be as competitive as in the first three GPs. On a personal level it’s important for me to be sure that I haven’t made any errors in the last three races, and this gives me the confidence to try and be competitive again immediately, starting from Le Mans”.