Andrea Iannone is targeting a second consecutive Qatar GP podium when the MotoGP season gets underway on Sunday night. The Italian claimed his maiden premier class rostrum in a thrilling race here twelve months ago and with the field looking as close and competitive as ever in pre-season testing, Andrea fancies his chances of a repeat.
“Last year I had a great race, and I scored a fantastic first MotoGP podium so it is a good memory for me. With the rule changes, I think that this year will see a good fight up front, because all the riders are closer, but we can also be competitive and will try our best to get on the podium again. The last test in Qatar was the best one for me, because day after day I was able to improve the feeling with the bike and with the Michelin tyres. We worked well, but we are only at the start with the new bike and we still have a lot of potential.”
The new Ducati Desmosedici GP has shown plenty of promise in testing and Andrea Dovizioso is hopeful of translating it into a heavy points haul this weekend.
“It’s great to start the season here in Qatar. Losail is a circuit where the MotoGP bikes can make the most of their available horsepower, because it is a very fast track and has a wide range of corners. It’s really different at night, when the temperature is perfect for the race. We have to be optimistic because in nine days of testing we worked well to set a good pace, and made a lot of progress in improving the feeling with the new Desmosedici GP. I’m quite relaxed about the start of the season, but I know that during the race weekend we will have to be quick to adapt to the Michelin tyres. It will be important to approach the weekend and all the new aspects in the best possible way, but I am confident for the race.”
