The two Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Michele Pirro finished sixth and seventh respectively in the TIM San Marino GP, the thirteenth round of the MotoGP World Championship which was held today at the Misano World Circuit.
Dovizioso, who started from the second row after qualifying sixth quickest, scrapped for fourth place in the opening laps with Marquez, Pedrosa and Viñales. The Italian then crossed the line on lap 11 in sixth place and kept that position until the chequered flag.
Pirro started the TIM San Marino GP as replacement rider for Andrea Iannone, who injured his back in a crash on Friday morning. The Italian, tester for the Ducati Test Team, started the race from row 2 with fifth quickest time set yesterday in Q2, but he was unable to get away well and crossed the line at the end of lap 1 in ninth place. Michele then moved up into seventh on lap 23, when he passed Crutchlow and finished the race in that position.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 6th
“It’s a pity because today I expected to get a different result in the race. Unfortunately we are still struggling to get the bike to turn like our rivals and as the laps go by this difference increases. To reduce the gap I have to use a lot of energy, push hard on the handlebars and my riding style becomes less smooth and a bit more ragged. To do a consistent lap it’s better that I don’t push hard in the early laps, but we are forced to do so to remain with the leading group.”
Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 7th
“I gave away a bit too much at the start today: losing three or four seconds early on makes things all the more difficult, but it’s not easy to quickly find the right feeling to start well when you only take part in MotoGP occasionally like I do. In the race I managed to be quite consistent and I didn’t finish too far behind my team-mate. I want to thank Ducati for everything, because it’s been a great weekend; yesterday I was fifth in qualifying, this morning third in the warm-up and today in amongst the leading group in the race. I also want to wish Andrea Iannone a speedy recovery and tell him that today I treated his bike well and that at Aragon he’ll find it in the same condition as he left it!”
