Dovi hoping for better 'relations' with Petrucci

Andrea Dovizioso believes Danilo Petrucci’s arrival to Ducati’s factory squad could offer several positives for 2019, and not just because his countryman has a similar riding style to his own.

Not long after the close of on-track action at the Grand Prix of Catalunya, the 2017 runner-up made pointed comments toward current team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, saying Petrucci’s arrival to the factory ranks could result in better relations between the two riders.

Dovizioso was explaining the differing development directions taken on both sides of the Ducati garage through this year that has led to both showing strong form around the Circuit of Catalunya. Lorenzo was the quickest rider on Friday, with the Italian half a second slower in fourth.

Having Petrucci on the other side of the garage may allow the factory team-mates to “work together to improve the bike,” said Dovizioso. “I hope.” Lorenzo will spectacularly leave for Repsol Honda in 2019. 

“The difference this year,” explained the 32-year old when asked if any recent updates had arrived for his side of the garage, that could have had a similar effect to the updated fuel tank Lorenzo raced to victory in Mugello, “is in the way we worked.

“From the winter tests from now, it was completely different for me and Jorge. So I did a good winter test. We worked in the right way and we tried everything on time. We decide when we had to decide. At the beginning of the season he wasn’t relaxed and wasn’t fast enough to work with some material.

“After he started to be able to do that and now he’s arrived at that material. It’s something normal. If you have to try that material you are in a good shape to try other materials. And he had some other requests to try the tank or something like that. He likes and it reacts in a different way. It’s like this.”

So Dovizioso hasn’t raced any new components in recent weeks? “No,” he said. “Every time there is new material we will try and we try to work in a relaxed and safe way. We have to try new things when it’s the right time to try something.

“Most of the time when you try something different, it’s difficult to understand if it’s different. Trying the new things in a bad moment you can make a wrong decision. The better things, it can be the opposite way.”

Does he feel Petrucci, who has a similar style to his own than Lorenzo, can be a useful addition to the factory squad? “Maybe,” came the reply. “Maybe, yes. Also not just about the riding style - also the relation. I think it can be different to try and work together to improve the bike. I hope.”

Commenting on the first day of free practice at Montmeló, Dovizioso added, “The layout? No, it’s the same. The biggest change is the asphalt. That is the biggest effect. The tyres and the asphalt make always the biggest effect.

“Everybody has to adapt to the new situation. We did the test a few weeks ago but the conditions are a little bit different now and it’s not easy to manage the slide. Today you can see easily a lot of mistake on entry. Nobody can really push on exit because there is the layout.

“The layout is not the best for the tyres, especially the rear. But still I don’t think the situation is clear. We have to understand the details; the consumption; the potential of the tyre and the drop.

“We worked on the hard tyre today. Some other riders worked with the soft so we don’t have the real comparison to know exactly our speed. But overall the feeling is good.”