Silverstone (United Kingdom) (AFP)
Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati are looking to confirm their current good form at the British Motorcycle Grand Prix after their snatching victory against Marc Marquez and his Honda in the last race in Austria.
Canceled last year due to torrential rains, the British race will compete on a brand new coating and supposed to better evacuate the water, even if the weather looks good this time.
"Dovi" is the last winner (2017) in front of the Yamaha Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi and had then taken advantage of the engine break Marquez to take the lead of the provisional ranking of the championship.
Two years later, the picture is not the same: the Spaniard is 58 points ahead of the Italian and can afford the luxury of abandonment.
"We have not had a chance in the past," recalls the five-time world champion, "but we are showing this year that we are much stronger on the circuits where we were not before and so I have high expectations for this weekend, "said the Honda driver.
He finds his teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who missed four races after his accident in the Netherlands at the end of June. Shadow of himself since the beginning of the season, the triple world champion could see his place at Honda, where he arrived this season, threatened.
"I signed a two-year contract and, if we have had any difficulties so far, I intend to get results with this bike as I did with the others I drove. during the 17 years of my career, "he said Thursday while Honda has only 34 points ahead of Ducati in the constructors' championship.
- Quartararo full of ambition -
On the side of the stable of Borgo Panigale, morale has recovered after the victory in Austria. "Nothing gives you more satisfaction and confidence than a win, and we're coming to Silverstone with spirited morale," said Dovizioso.
The Yamaha could come play the spoilsport, including Fabio Quartararo sparkling for his first season in the premier class.
Having led for a few rounds in Austria, already garnered three pole-positions and three podiums, the young French, 20 years, feels pushing wings.
"My goal is still to be the best + rookie + of the season and I am at the moment even if the championship is not over," he said Thursday. "But if we have a chance to be on the podium, we will fight to get there," added the Nice.
At the height of his 40 years, the star of the brand to the tune, Valentino Rossi, does not want to be confessed yet. Six-time winner in Great Britain (the last time in 2015), the seven-time Italian world champion is still a serious candidate for a podium, if not a victory, just like his Iberian teammate Maverick Vinales.
At Suzuki, the Spaniard Alex Rins will not have as teammate his compatriot Joan Mir, injured and replaced for the occasion by the French Sylvain Guintoli.
- Guintoli replaces Mir at Suzuki -
Silverstone "is right next to where I live," recalls the 2014 world champion superbike. "But I have not raced there for a while, so it will be nice to find British fans," said the native of London. Montelimar.
There is the case of Johann Zarco. The Cannois has announced that it will terminate prematurely, at the end of the year, to its two-year contract with KTM but will be keen to score a good result in the last eight races of the season while its future in MotoGP still remains uncertain.
In Moto2, Alex Marquez, Marc's younger brother, will defend his first place in the championship after having won for 2020 with his current team in the same category. In Moto3, the Italian Lorenzo Dalla Porta has only one point ahead of the Spaniard Aron Canet who already knows he will move to Moto2 next year.
© 2019 AFP