Factory Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso and Avintia Racing’s Johann Zarco have had their say on the opening-lap crash of the Catalan Grand Prix that caused Dovizioso to lose the championship lead.
The Ducati men collided with each other mid-way through Turn 2 after Zarco tried to avoid hitting Dovizioso’s team-mate Danilo Petrucci, who tucked the front and lost momentum and therefore forcing the Avintia machine to slow in avoidance.
Dovizioso described the crash as “disappointing”, adding that it was “very bad for the championship because we had a good chance to make some points.”
Johann Zarco said that he was “sad” about the crash, especially after having a strong start to the weekend in Free Practice and Qualifying.
“I think the start was correct from my side and Danilo did a really amazing brake at Turn 1 and he overtook me,” explained Zarco.
“And then, I think when he changed direction, he almost went down because the temperature on the left (side of the track) was really cool and we have to be very careful.
“Trying not to touch him, I was braking and I crashed. The problem is that when I crashed, Dovi could not avoid me and we had two Ducatis on the floor.”
“With Andrea (Dovizioso) fighting for the championship, this (collision) gives me a really sad feeling.
“Even if I thought ‘Well, if I do not touch the brake’, I think I would have touched Danilio anyway so it could have been the same end.”
While the crash meant that neither rider was able to score any points, Zarco is happy with the way the weekend went overall and is looking forward to racing at Le Mans.
“I tried to take all the positives from the practices that I did quite strong and well, so from this, I can learn, improve, and be strong in Le Mans.”
Dovizioso plans to try and improve on elements of his riding before the next race to ensure that he can stay within title contention, particularly on his braking technique with the Desmosedici that he has struggled with since Michelin introduced its new compound tyres ahead of the season.
“I think the important thing is to improve my braking and that is how I will become competitive again.”
The Le Mans circuit is also a favourite for the factory Ducati team, Dovizioso commenting that “it can be a good track for us.”
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