Dovizioso: Three years to get the result

His contract may have been resolved two months later than anticipated, but finally confirmation arrived on Friday that Andrea Dovizioso will continue with Ducati in MotoGP until 2019.

The Italian spoke to the press after topping FP2 at Le Mans to explain why there was a delay to the agreement, whether he had seriously considered switching to another manufacturer, and the possibility of ending his career with the Bologna factory.

Question:
Was signing with Ducati for two more years the most logical step?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Is it the best choice? We’ll see in the future. We have to be happy about this decision because last year we did an incredible season. We fought for the championship until the last round. After five years I think we did a great job together. We were struggling a lot but at the end we fought for the championship. In the end, that is really good. This is another reason why I think it’s good to continue because you want something more. We have in front of us three years to try and get the result. We know how tough it is but we want to fight for that. I know a lot about Ducati. Ducati knows a lot about me. This creates a good situation inside the team, to try and work on the details, to try to work on the bike and fight for the championship.

Question:
Why was there a delay before confirming the deal?

Andrea Dovizioso:
I think it’s difficult to make every important contract. It’s normal. Everybody tries to have the maximum. From my side and from Ducati’s side. We’re speaking about an important contract so I think that’s the reason why. But we worked in the right way: me and my manager, and Ducati’s people, we work in a natural way. This helps the relations to arrive at this decision.

Question:
Do you have any preference regarding your team-mate for 2019 and ’20?

Andrea Dovizioso:
About the riders: like I always did in the past, I’m not too involved with that. I explain to the team what I think is good for the team, but they will take a decision. I don’t think it will be too important to me.

Question:
Do you feel it’s more important to be with Ducati for a long time seeing as it can be quite a particular bike to ride? Was that a factor in your thinking?

Andrea Dovizioso:
No. I think with every manufacturer everything is the same situation. I think especially in the way I live the six years with Ducati it was important to stay in the same team, and improve together. I think we were in the same situation in 2013. Both we believe we can fight for the championship. In that time nobody believed that I can fight for the championship. And at that time, after Valentino’s story, nobody really believed in Ducati. That is the special thing, because we start in a really… I mean, I finished four the year before in Tech 3 which wasn’t too bad, but in any case, we start from the bottom together. We struggled a lot for many years but at the end we came back together. This is something special. This is the relation with Ducati. We created something important to put on the track. The relations are really important to get a result in the world championship. You know how tough it is to beat everybody.

Question:
Yesterday you said you now have support of certain people and that makes you happy. Does that mean you didn’t have the full support of these people before the past few days?

Andrea Dovizioso:
No, no no. About the last question, also before but especially at the end. In the last month we spoke more about the contract about the details and in that situation I felt a lot of support from a lot of people.

Question:
Was there ever a time in the past two months you considered you wouldn’t be with Ducati in ’19?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Yes. It’s normal. The riders are egoistical (selfish). The riders have to be [selfish] in the way you think to be fast. I don’t think you have to look at that in a bad way because I’m speaking about the racing. So it’s normal. You think of being in different teams to try and understand whether it’s a good idea or not. I was open because it’s normal to be when you are speaking about the contract. You have to be with the open mind to try to understand the best for you.

Question:
Is a Spanish team-mate good for the team?

Andrea Dovizioso:
You mean Jorge? For me it’s not a problem. I’m not the kind of rider that decides the second rider. I explained to Ducati what I think is good and what Ducati thinks is good. But in the end it’s not my decision. So I’m focussed on me.

Question:
Assuming you and Ducati remain competitive for two and a half more seasons, do you think you will finish your career here?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Well, in the last four years I was really relaxed, like I am now, about when I will finish in MotoGP. I am completely relaxed about that. For sure my goal is to win the championship and I am in the position to win the championship. If we have a chance I will do everything to try and do that. But my life is not just about MotoGP. I’m not too worried about that. I think until I will be strong - and I think I am in the best moment in my career - I can continue. I don’t have any limit about that, about age. I am completely relaxed and I never thing about that so I will think about that in the moment I have to. It’s not a problem, to finish in the next two years, or the next four or six… I’m completely open.