After the first three overseas races of the season at Losail, Austin and Termas de Rio Hondo, which produced excellent results, the Ducati Team has now arrived in Spain, where on Sunday the fourth round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship will be held at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Andalusia.
The Desmosedici GP15’s raceday performance continues to underscore the progress made by the new bike, and the Italian team’s two riders, Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone, have already notched up four podiums in these early stages: three second places for the 29-year-old from Forlì, who finds himself second in the overall standings, six points away from leader Rossi, and a third place for the 25-year-old from Vasto, third overall and twenty points down on his team-mate.
Last year Dovizioso, starting sixth on the grid at Jerez, powered into the lead of the GP with a terrific start and then remained in fifth for almost the entire race. Iannone on the other hand was not so fortunate with the Pramac team’s GP14, the Italian starting from fifteenth on the grid and then retiring from the race.
For both Ducati Team men, the aim of this race is to confirm the GP15’s competitive level, which has already been amply demonstrated at three circuits with totally different characteristics in this early stage of the season.
The Jerez de la Frontera weekend gets underway on Friday morning with the first free practice session at 09.55 CET, while the race is scheduled for 14.00 CET.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 2nd (60 points)
“Jerez is one of the toughest tracks for Ducati and for me, especially because of the heavy tyre wear, but the results of the first three races make me feel optimistic because it seems that the GP15 goes really well at every circuit, which confirms the fact that we are working well. I’m going to Jerez convinced that we can also obtain a good result in this race.”
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 3rd (40 points)
“Jerez is a circuit where I have already won a race in 2011 in Moto2, and it’s a track I really like. There are going to be a lot of fast competitive riders and so for sure we are going to have to work to our best to exploit all the potential of the team and the bike. It’s not going to be an easy weekend, but we have the potential to do well and I’m going to try my hardest as always.”
The Jerez de la Frontera circuit
Built in 1986, the Jerez circuit hosted its first GP the following year, rapidly becoming one of the most popular tracks of the entire MotoGP calendar. The circuit is situated in a valley in the south of Spain, offering spectacular views and usually characterized by excellent weather. Its numerous grandstands provide perfect viewing facilities for up to 250,000 spectators. The track was resurfaced in 2005 and it also has recently updated facilities such as the control tower and pit garages.
Circuit Record: Lorenzo (Yamaha – 2013), 1’39.565 (159.9 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda – 2014), 1’38.120 (162.2 km/h)
Top Speed: Pedrosa (Honda – 2014), 295.9 km/h
Race Distance: 27 laps (119.4 km)
Race Start: 14.00 CET
2014 Results
Podium: 1st Marquez (Honda), 2nd Rossi (Yamaha), 3rd Pedrosa (Honda)
Pole Position: Marquez (Honda) 1’38.120 (162.2 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda) 1’39.841 (159.4 km/h)
Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP15
Race Number: 04
Age: 29 (born on March 23rd 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 225 (127 x MotoGP, 49 x 250cc, 49 x 125cc)
First GP: 2001 Italian GP (125cc)
Wins: 10 (1 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 5 x 125cc)
First Win: 2004 South African GP (125cc)
Pole Positions: 16 (3 x MotoGP, 4 x 250cc, 9 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2003 French GP (125cc)
Titles: 1 (1 x 125cc)
Andrea Iannone
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP15
Race Number: 29
Age: 25 (born on August 9th 1989 in Vasto, Italy)
Residence: Vasto (Italy)
Races: 163 (36 x MotoGP, 51 x Moto2, 76 x 125cc)
First GP: 2005 Spanish GP (125cc)
Wins: 12 (8 x Moto2, 4 x 125cc)
First Win: 2008 GP of China (125cc)
Pole Positions: 8 (5 x Moto2, 3 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2008 GP of Malaysia (125cc)
