Quick-thinking 'easy' for 'Professor Dovi'

Motegi race winner Andrea Dovizioso says his ability to think clearly in the most intense situations has always been a fundamental element of his capabilities in MotoGP.

The factory Ducati rider closed the gap at the top of the championship to 11 points on Marc Marquez following a hard-earned victory in the wet in Japan.

Dovizioso grasped his chance when Marquez made a mistake on the final lap and displayed the trademark composure that has earned him the nickname ‘The Professor’ as he closed out a vitally important win at the Twin Ring circuit.

“When I overtook him I wanted to make a small gap but I realised I didn’t have any more the rear tyre,” Dovizioso said.

“We slowed down on the lap time and it was very difficult to be precise. At that time it was just about strategy to overtake and to be in the right position in the right moment. The last three laps, he pushed again and I pushed really hard. I knew it was difficult to stay with him but I have a positive part of the track and some negatives.

“I was really good in the braking and I braked in a perfect way. He did a mistake in the last lap in turn 8 when I was losing a little a bit and maybe it wasn’t enough to try to overtake in turn 11 with that gap, but maybe he was pushing too much and did a mistake,” he added.

“I knew I had to do everything perfect in two corners to be ready in turn 11 and that was already my strategy at the beginning of the lap, but it was difficult because he was making a really difficult lap time. [The victory] was much better than Austria, maybe because I didn’t expect to win here, but in Austria, yes.”

Dovizioso says he finds it ‘easy’ to think over every eventuality during a race situation in a focused way, which the 31-year-old says has always been part of his racing psyche.

“I think a lot of things when I’m riding. When I overtook him in turn 11 I already thought about Austria, I already thought about the strategy in the last corner – your brain is going so fast in that moment and for me it is so easy to think about many things in a focused way,” said the 31-year-old.

“That is why I did that line and I prepare in a perfect way – the way I want – for that corner. But this is my characteristic and I am not surprised about that.”