MotoGP: “Impossible dream” achieved for Dovi at Misano

Forli’s Andrea Dovizioso was the victor of the San Marino Grand Prix in front of a capacity crowd on Sunday, taking the win with ease once past teammate Jorge Lorenzo. The Italian has hit some splendid form of late, taking podiums in the last three races, of which two have been wins.

The Italian held the position right until the end of the race, taking the chequered flag 2.8 seconds ahead of Marquez. Dovi came from the 2nd row of the grid from 4th, making him the first winner of a dry race from outside the front row at Misano since Dani Pedrosa in 2016.

“I wanted this win so badly, because here at Misano Ducati and I have always struggled in recent years. In the test in August however we realized that we had made an important step forward and we could be competitive in the race. We worked really well during the weekend, in very different conditions, but both Jorge and Marc are very strong here so to win I had to do a perfect race.

“I started off in the right frame of mind, fully focussed on the race strategy, and when I took the lead, I pulled out a small advantage and then managed the situation until the finish. I’m really pleased, because winning here at Misano was very important for Ducati but also for me. Years ago it seemed like an impossible dream, but now we’ve done it and it fills me with so much satisfaction.”

Luigi Dall’Igna was also ecstatic about the result, which was looking like a 1-2 for the local manufacturer until Jorge Lorenzo’s crash. Just 135km from home, the win is a real home victory on the Adriatic Coast.

“We have to be happy both with this result and the performance of our bike. We did a great job over the weekend both on a technical level and with our riders. Dovizioso won after disputing a great race, and Lorenzo, despite his crash, did a wonderful race that thrilled me because he made some spectacular passes on other riders. To win both in Mugello and at Misano in the same season is something really special.”