Opportunities await at Aragon for Dovizioso, Petrucci after Le Mans boost

Ducati arrives for the tenth round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship - the first of two races to be held at Motorland Aragon - in buoyant mood following a memorable weekend under stormy skies at Le Mans.

Danilo Petrucci returned to the winners’ circle for the first time since his 2019 Mugello triumph with an assured victory in the wet at Le Mans, while Andrea Dovizioso clawed back some ground in the championship fight with a run to fourth.

With only five races left to determine the 2020 MotoGP World Champion, Dovizioso is among four riders still in close contention. He is currently 18 points adrift of leader Fabio Quartararo, while Joan Mir is eight points ahead and Maverick Vinales one point behind.

Though Aragon isn’t a circuit that necessarily suits the Ducati, according to Dovizioso, the Italian feels it is well placed against the Yamaha and Suzuki challenge.

"We immediately moved forward after the race in Le Mans, and now we are already focused on the next two Grands Prix in Aragón, that will be crucial at this stage of the season. 

“Last year I managed to get on the podium at MotorLand, and even if on paper we are not the favourites on this track, I am sure that we will also have some opportunities by using the strengths of our Desmosedici GP bike at its best. The championship is still open, and we have to keep working race after race to try to achieve our goal."

With victory marking a major turnaround for Petrucci having finished no higher than seventh in any race before that this year, the Italian - who like Dovizioso will exit Ducati at the end of the season - now wants to prove his assertion that wet weather wasn’t the primary factor behind his success.

"The victory in Le Mans has certainly served to instill a lot of confidence, and I arrive at MotorLand with high morale. Every race is a world unto itself, but after overcoming such a difficult start to the season, now I want to keep improving. I hope to be able to continue with the same positive feelings we had in France, and I am confident that we can also have our say in the last five races that remain in the championship. 

“Let's see what the conditions of the track at Aragón will look like when we arrive: we will have to be good at interpreting the behaviour of the Michelin tyres. It will be crucial to be able to start on the right foot from Friday's free practice."