Following the first three overseas races, the Ducati Team has now arrived in Spain, where the fourth round of the MotoGP World Championship will be held at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Andalusia on Sunday.
This year the Desmosedici GP’s practice, qualifying and race performance, on circuits with totally different characteristics, has always been competitive and Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone have scored two podiums: a second place for the Romagna rider, seventh in the standings 43 points behind leader Marquez, and a third place for his team-mate from Abruzzo, eleventh overall after scoring his first points of the season with a third place at the Austin circuit in Texas.
Last year’s Spanish Grand Prix was short of satisfaction for the Ducati Team riders: Iannone finished sixth overall, while Dovizioso ended the race in ninth place, after running off the track on lap 2 and dropping to the back of the field.
The Jerez de la Frontera weekend gets underway on Friday morning with the first free practice session at 9.55 am, while the 27-lap race is scheduled for Sunday at 14.00 CET.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 7th (23 points)
“Unfortunately in the last two races I missed out on two possible podium finishes, not through any fault of my own, and this is clearly a frustrating situation that reflects on my position in the standings. I am relaxed about it however because I know that in the first three races this season, I’ve always worked really well with my team throughout the weekend and I have shown that I am competitive on track. Jerez is one of the toughest circuits for the Ducati and for me, but I am very confident in what we have and so I’ll also be pushing hard in Spain to try and get back on the podium.”
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 13th (16 points)
“Now we are back in Europe at Jerez, which is where I won in Moto2 in 2011 and which is a track I like a lot. After my first podium in Texas two weeks ago I believe that we have the potential to continue in this positive direction, especially because the Desmosedici GP is really a very competitive machine. For this reason I’m excited about coming to Spain, and can’t wait to continue the good job I’m doing with my team.”
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 nearly always characterized by excellent weather. Its numerous grandstands provide perfect viewing facilities for up to 250,000 spectators. The track was resurfaced in 2005 and its recently updated facilities such as the control tower and pit garages have also been vastly improved.
Fastest Lap: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’37.910 (162.6 km/h) – 2015
Circuit Record: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’38.735 (161.2 km/h) – 2015
Best Pole: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’37.910 (162.6 km/h) – 2015
Top Speed: Iannone (Ducati), 295.9 km/h – 2015
Track length: 4.4 km
Race Distance: 27 laps (119.4 km)
Corners: 13 (5 left, 8 right)
Race Start: 14.00 CET
2015 Results
Podium: 1st Lorenzo (Yamaha), 2nd Marquez (Honda), 3rd Rossi (Yamaha)
Pole Position: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’37.910 (162.6 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1’38.735 (161.2 km/h)
Andrea Dovizioso
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 04
Age: 30 (born on March 23rd 1986 in Forlimpopoli, Italy)
Residence: Forlì (Italy)
Races: 243 (145 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 GP
Race Number: 29
Age: 26 (born on August 9th 1989 in Vasto, Italy)
Residence: Vasto (Italy)
Races: 181 (54 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: 9 (1 x MotoGP, 5 x Moto2, 3 x 125cc)
First Pole: 2008 GP of Malaysia (125cc)
