Dovi talks up title credentials
Added on Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Dovi talks up title credentials
Andrea Dovizioso believes that riding a factory Honda will put him in the frame for the 2009 MotoGP World Championship.
Speaking at the Repsol Honda season launch in Madrid, the Italian claimed that signing for the factory Honda team was a “dream come true” and hinted at a title challenge on the factory supported machinery.
Dovizioso, highly regarded by Honda management during his time in the support classes, caught the eye in 2008 whilst riding for the Scot satellite team, with a podium in Malaysia and four fourth-placed finishes throughout the season in his rookie year.
“Becoming an official rider in the Repsol Honda Team is a dream come true for me,” said the 22-year-old. “It is a great experience and an incredible challenge, something I have already had a chance to see in the pre-season practice sessions.
“Being in the official team means that you carry more responsibility, I now have to help develop the motorbike, and that in the world of MotoGP is quite complex.
“All I did before was to ride and go as fast as possible, refining the setup, but now I also have to think about how the bike behaves so that its overall performance can be improved.
“The bike is going quite a bit better as we have more power coming from the engine, and a new chassis has really helped us with the sensations that the front end transmits to us, it now leans over better.
“I am very pleased to be in Madrid for the presentation of the Repsol team, and from now on I will do all I can in the fight for the world title.”
