Dovizioso: “Stoner? It doesn’t surprise me. Many successful riders have had problems”

It’s been a while since Andrea Dovizioso was last in Malaysia for the classic pre-season tests, but the time has now come. The most experienced rider on the grid prepares for a new chapter in his career, this time with Yamaha, and sets himself no particular goals, unlike Team Principal Razlan Razali.

“I’m not sure what to say in terms of my goal, I only know that these tests will help us to understand more. First we want to start to understand the potential of the other riders and bikes, but I’m still in the adaptation phase really. A winter with no riding has an effect, but we'll only see if it’s negative or positive once I'm on the bike. I’m very happy to be here in Malaysia, at least until everyone heads out for a time attack that is (he smiles)”.

Andrea appears laid back, a year away from the tracks having apparently done him the world of good.

“I don’t really feel myself getting older, which is a good thing, but so is the effect of having taken the last year off. It allowed me to see things from another perspective, to realise certain things. As Valentino said when he decided to retire, things change – to remain in this situation, you need to continuously exceed your limits, but I feel calm and relaxed now, regardless of what I might be able to do”.

Dovizioso: “I’m not interested in what they write on social media”

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One rider who has talked about the tough times in his career is Casey Stoner, a situation Dovizioso can easily understand.

“I heard something about this. No one knows what riders go through. I’m not particularly surprised to hear this, as many high-level sportspersons have had different kinds of problems. It’s kind of the price you pay in these situations. I follow many MX riders for example, some of whom retired before thirty when they were still winning. It becomes increasingly hard to manage the pressure, even for successful riders, which might sound strange but it’s true”.

Pressure is not a problem for Andrea right now though, and he’s not interested in social media opinions either.

“It’s not hard for me to manage the pressure right now, because I try not to pay too much attention to what people are saying or thinking. Today, with social media, everyone talks, which is great on the one hand, but I try not to listen. I’m not trying to say that I’m better, but I just think this is the right strategy for me right now”.

Translated by Heather Watson

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