Following the inaugural race of the MotoGP season in Qatar, in which both Ducati Team riders scored a podium finish, the Italian team is now about to set off on a lengthy overseas trip to the American continent, which will begin in Austin (Texas) and then one week later continue at Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina, for the second and third rounds of the 2015 championship.
The excellent results obtained in Qatar with the GP15, on its race debut, have proved that the new Desmosedici has already reached a good competitive level, but the aims of the Ducati Team remain the same as those of the start of the season: to continue with the development of the new bike, which is still brand-new, and confirm this positive trend on the upcoming tracks.
The two Ducati Team riders arrive in Texas both excited and highly-motivated after their two good races in Qatar. Dovizioso was always in the top two positions from start to finish, fighting first with Lorenzo and then with Rossi, and he finished the race in the runner-up slot just 174 thousandths behind the winner. Iannone, on the other hand, ran an intelligent race, without ever losing contact with the leaders and guaranteeing himself his first-ever MotoGP podium after passing Lorenzo for third place with three laps remaining.
The Austin weekend will begin Friday morning with the first session of free practice at 09.55 (14.55 GMT), while the race is scheduled for Sunday at 14.00 local time (19.00 GMT).
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 2nd (20 points)
“I am very satisfied with my result in Qatar, because I was able to fight for the win right down to the chequered flag with a totally new bike. In 2014 I succeeded in obtaining my first podium with Ducati at Austin, in what was a bit of a strange race, but I really like the Texan track because of its characteristics and I can’t wait to start racing this weekend. I’m very excited and very curious to see how the GP15 will go in the next few circuits!”.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 3rd (16 points)
“After my first-ever MotoGP podium in Qatar, now we are going to Austin, to a track where last year I almost managed to get onto the podium and so I am very happy to go back there, this time as a factory Ducati Team rider. The Texan circuit is really nice and I think that with the Desmosedici GP15 we can again aim to score another good result, especially in the light of this positive moment I am going through together with my team”.
The Circuit of The Americas
The Circuit of The Americas is the USA’s first purpose-built Grand Prix circuit, near Austin, Texas, and is a 5.513 km track that has a spectator capacity of 120,000 spectators. Building work was completed in 2012 and this year will be the third time that CoTA will be the venue for the MotoGP round. One of its main features is an impressively steep hill at the end of the main straight followed by a tight left-hand corner. The circuit was designed by the famous German architect Hermann Tilke. The track direction is anti-clockwise and it contains a total of twenty corners: nine right and eleven left.
Circuit Record: Marquez (Honda – 2014), 2’03.575 (160.6 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda – 2014), 2’02.773 (161.6 km/h)
Top Speed: Marquez (Honda – 2013), 341.6 km/h
Race Distance: 21 laps (115.8 km)
Race Start: 2 pm local time (19.00 GMT)
2014 Podium: 1st Marquez (Honda), 2nd Pedrosa (Honda), 3rd Dovizioso (Ducati)
Pole Position: Marquez (Honda), 2’02.773 (161.6 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Marquez (Honda) 2’03.575 (160.6 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: 223 (125 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: 161 (34 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)
