Andrea Dovizioso admits Ducati is “still losing too much” time in the middle of fast corners, after missing the podium in fourth in the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix.
Dovizioso ran alongside eventual winner Marc Marquez into the first corner at the start, but was pushed out wide and spent much of the race recovering from the sixth position he found himself occupying in the early stages.
The Ducati rider eventually made his way to fourth, but do nothing to usurp Maverick Vinales and would miss out on a maiden Jerez podium by 0.4 seconds in fourth.
Dovizioso feels Ducati once again showed it could be competitive at a typically difficult track for it, but conceded some of the Desmosedici's cornering weaknesses remain.
“Unfortunately we couldn't get our goal, which was to make a podium,” Dovizioso, who is now three points adrift in the championship having led it by three ahead of the Jerez race, told motogp.com.
“About the speed, about the weekend, it's positive, it's good. We are also competitive in a track where we [have been] struggling.
“In practice our pace was good, but the just the race can show the reality. So this is another confirmation, it's difficult for us to make a podium here and when we are in a track where there are fast corners, still we lose too much in the middle of the corners.
“It was the bad thing at the beginning of the race, I couldn't keep that speed. But I'm happy, because I was calm and I was trying to manage the situation in the best way.
“At the end it paid off because I was able to catch the fast riders and fight with them. Unfortunately I couldn't overtake them.”
Dovizioso believes the upcoming circuits should suit the Ducati more, but is wary of the threat posed by Honda's Marquez – who he says will be “strong” at every track – and Suzuki rider Alex Rins, who trails Marquez by a point in second in the standings after finishing second at Jerez.
“Yes, I think so,” he added when asked if the coming races will be better for Ducati.
“I think it will be like this, but you know Marc – he will be strong at every track. So we have to be focused and work in every detail.
“I'm really forward to going to Le Mans, but also Rins is an important confirmation [that he will be strong].
“So it will be hard until the end of the season.”
