Dovizioso: Rins, Rossi will fight for title "until the end"
MotoGP championship leader Andrea Dovizioso believes rivals Alex Rins and Valentino Rossi can remain in the MotoGP title hunt “until the end” in 2019.
Dovizioso was the only rider to put up a season-long challenge against Marc Marquez in the past two seasons, as the Honda man secured his fourth and fifth premier-class crowns.
Marquez's shock crash at COTA leaves him nine points behind Ducati rider Dovizioso, but both Austin winner Rins and second-place finisher Rossi have slotted in between the pair in the standings.
Rossi's Yamaha team hasn't been a match for Honda and Ducati as of late, while Rins' employer Suzuki hasn't won the premier-class title since 2000, but Dovizioso believes both bikes are now strong enough to keep the pair in the hunt.
“The difference is there are more competitive bikes than last year,” Dovizioso said. “Suzuki definitely took a step forward, even though last year in the last races they already made a good series of podiums.
“Rins has made a step in terms of maturity and Valentino has remade himself along with the level of his bike, so I think both can be in the championship fight until the end.”
Rossi, however, has not won a race since the 2017 Dutch TT at Assen, and Dovizioso asserts that “you can't win a championship without winning races”.
“I think you have to win at least three or four, even if it’s all very even, but I believe winning counts less than certain results.”
Dovizioso believes having more riders with title aspirations “can be both positive and negative” for his hopes of scoring Ducati's first premier-class championship since Casey Stoner in 2007.
“In the last two years we could never beat Marc, because on the bad days [for him] he always managed to be on the podium," he said. "However, we were in a bad way when we struggled and this limited our results.
“This year I think that we are stronger and can be more consistent, as we showed in Argentina and in Texas.
“It’s true that there are more competitive riders, so even staying in the top 10 in qualifying is difficult. It’s surely a difficult situation, but it’s the same for the others, so it’s something we must see weekend by weekend.”
Previous article
Pedrosa's KTM test return delayed further
Next article
Zarco: Race weekend "stress" obscuring progress with KTM
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Andrea Dovizioso , Valentino Rossi , Alex Rins |
| Author | Valentin Khorounzhiy |
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title
