MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 7 / JUNE 9-11, 2017
CIRCUIT DE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA / CATALONIA, SPAIN
P66
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
A
week, they say, is a long time in
politics. A tenth of a second is
a long time in grand prix racing.
And eight days? All the same, for Ducati
and Andrea Dovizioso. That's just how
long it took to climb onto the top step of
the podium—twice.
Heat and tires were helped by a
worn-out track to continue playing
havoc with predictability in MotoGP
2017. While the Ducati's sheer speed
and Dovi's calm competence lifted him
to second in the championship, the
formerly dominant Maverick Vinales had
a dire weekend. The Movistar Yamaha
top dog only just made it into the top
10, losing ninth place on the last lap to
down-table Ducati rider Hector Barbera
(Avintia Ducati).
All the while, defending champion
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) could
hardly stop falling over. He crashed
four times on Friday and Saturday, then
tripped himself up in pit lane on Sunday
morning before falling again in warm-up.
Doubtless it is the mark of a great rider
that when it mattered he stayed wheels
down, and saved 20 points with a wor-
thy second place.
These are
indeed heady
days for Andrea
Dovizioso and
Ducati. His
Catalunya win
was just as
impressive as his
Italian GP win a
week prior.
When You're
Hot, You're Hot!
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO MADE IT TWO WINS IN TWO
WEEKS IN MOTOGP AT CATALUNYA. ARE WE SEEING
THE EMERGENCE OF DOVI AS A REAL TITLE THREAT?
