Before Sunday’s race at Laguna Seca, Asphalt & Rubber got to talk for a moment with rider Andrea Dovizioso. Qualifying on the front row this weekend, Dovi talked with us about his progress this year at Repsol Honda, how his 2010 season is shaping up, and shed some light on his 2011 plans. Read the transcript after the jump.
Question: You had a very good day at qualifying today, how do you feel going into the race tomorrow?
Andrea Dovizioso: I’m really, really happy about the 3rd position. It’s so important to start at the front tomorrow. We have a really good pace, but sure, Lorenzo and Casey have a little bit better pace. So we need to improve, this pace is not enough to fight really for the victory. But we are really close, and I’m really confident. The race will be long and we made a good job during practice, because we have improved during the weekend.
Q: Each race we see you improve gradually more and more, becoming a star rider, when will we see you as the top rider in the team?
AD: Ah, we are close, I think! So we made a big, big improvement from last year, so big. I think still we have the possibility to improve a lot. Now, our limit is this, but during the race we improve always, so I think we can be stronger from here to the end of the season.
Q: Laguna Seca is the mid-point of the season, what are your goals and priorities from now until the end of the season?
AD: We have a good test, an important test after the race in Brno. The last time we can try a few things and new parts for the bike. So in that test, it will be important to improve the bike. During the weekend race, it’s not so easy, we do not have enough time.
Q: What’s your outlook on being with Honda for next year?
AD: We are still speaking, and after this race we need to decide.
Q: Any truth to the rumors on you going to Tech 3?
AD: No, it’s just a rumor.
Comments