The Argentina GP race weekend got off to a positive start for the two Ducati Team riders, with Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso finishing the first two sessions of free practice at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit respectively in second and fifth place.
On a day characterized by cloudy skies and an average temperature of 25° C, the MotoGP field took to the track for first free practice in the morning without managing to set any truly significant times, but Iannone and Dovizioso ended the 45 minute session on their GP15 machines respectively in second and third place.
In the afternoon the track conditions improved and the times came down significantly. After several exits with a hard rear tyre, during which both Ducati Team men showed that they had a good pace, the two Andreas then fitted medium compound rear tyres and went out to try and improve their times and guarantee themselves a place in the top 10.
Iannone set his quickest time of 1m39.311s on his sixteenth and final lap, while Dovizioso’s 1m39.434s on his fifteenth lap.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 1’39.311 (2nd)
“In general, my day went quite well, but we must continue to work the way we are doing now. There are a few things to improve regarding the set-up to get a bit more feeling, and I believe that we can be competitive. The track is in a really difficult state and it’s not easy to find the right grip and the confidence to push hard. Today we tried two different settings and we managed to improve and this in any case is important.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 1’39.434 (5th)
“I am satisfied because in comparison with last year we have a good pace, and this is very important for me seeing as in 2014 I didn’t go very well all weekend. We improved the bike a bit in the afternoon but we still have to try and find a race pace that allows us to go fast without a drop in performance after a few laps. Here it’s really difficult because this track is very slippery, but we are working to improve this aspect.”
