Unprecedented in his MotoGP career, Andrea Dovizioso took an unwanted third DNF in a row at Sachsenring.
Unlike in the previous rounds at Assen and Laguna Seca, this time the Repsol Honda rider did not have too much say in his race retirement. Whereas those two Grands Prix ended early due to crashes, in Germany it was excessive tyre wear and electrical issues that forced his return to the garage.
“We needed a strong result here and at the start of the race I was able to ride at a really good pace,” said Dovizioso after his latest disappointment, which dropped him down to seventh in the standings.
“I made a quick start from the fourth row and got past six riders on the first lap - then I was able to get past (Jorge) Lorenzo for fourth on the third lap. On that lap I did a 1m 22.7s but then, during the fourth lap, the front folded at turn eight and I ran wide.”
From then on it was more a case of Dovizioso v.s. tyre deterioration than any of his on-track rivals. It was a difficulty also experienced by teammate Dani Pedrosa and satellite rider Gabor Talmacsi, but in the Italian’s case the troubles were compounded by a further mechanical setback –one sufficiently serious for him to call it a day.
“Within a few laps after this the performance from the front had dropped dramatically. It meant I couldn’t lean the bike or brake as normal so it was very difficult to control the bike. From then on my target was to finish the race but with five laps to go I had an electrical issue with the machine and I had to pull in.
“Obviously I’m really disappointed with the result because I was feeling fast here and I had a very good feeling from the bike. We really had the potential for a good result here, which is what we need at this moment,” sighed Dovizioso, whose season has taken a downward turn after a promising opening.
Source: http://www.motogp.com
