An interview wi✅th Andrea Dovizioso released following last week's second 2010 pre-season test session at Sepang, which the Repsol Honda rider finished as the top RCV rider in seventh place, albeit 1.17sec behind Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)...

Q:
First of all, congratulations on becoming a father... is it difficult to ride at 300 km/h kn♏owing that little Sara is waiting for you at home?

Andrea Dovizioso:
That is something I thought about when I heard the news, but I'm young and very focused on what I want to achieve, so I didn't think that it was going to change me, and that's how it's been. I'm very focused on my work and it's not a problem. To be honest, it's a𒐪n experience that can only go well for me.

Q:
I༒t is harder for you🌺 to spend more time away from home now?

Andrea Dovizioso:
We've just started the championship, so not yet, but maybe later on. She was born in mid-December, so I've bee𝔉n training for two and a half months, but also spending time with my daughter and her mother.

Q:
Let's talk about bikes. You had a good start to the 🐬year here a few weeks ago, and over the last two days you have confirmed that you are moving in the right d𝔉irection... Are you satisfied with the work that Honda has done over the winter?

Andrea Dovizioso:
I'm very happy because they have worked really hard and it was important for the factory to understand the modifications that had to be made and above all, because it's been confirmed that this work has been wel꧂l-done. It's also true that we can't stop at what has been done and that we must improve more, ꦐbecause we aren't fast enough, but I'm happy.

Q:
Did you ask HRC for a lot💮 of changes after the first test in Sepang?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Yes many things, because there wasn't enough time in the first test to check everything. They have made changes, even my position on the machine, which seems trivial, but it can change the performance a lot. With these changes we are heading in the direction that we think is the right direction. Problems arise, but that's normal and we are trying to res༺olve them.

Q:
Have you received all that material?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Yes, and I'm very happy with th🎶e work they've done, although there is still more to do.

Q:
What lies ahead for the Qatar test?

Andrea Dovizioso:
I don't know yet, because we have to talk to the team. The Qatar Circuit is very special and therefore, what happens there 💎will not be very indicative, but we want to do better than here. We will do the tests and see our potential because we have had two tests in Sepang on a track that I like and we'll need to see our level there.

Q:
What level of evolution do you think the new machꦓine has reached?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Everything depends on the Bridgestone tyres because it is an extremely important aspect. If you don't build a machine that makes the most of ൲them, you can ride however you want but you won't win. So, the work on is focused on that.

Q:
Are you happy with the Ohlins suspension?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Yes, I felt comfortable straight away, although the machine is different to last year's. We don't have any serious problems and these tests have confirmed th🍸e solutions, because the solutions we had found for certain problems have fixed them༒.

Q:
What are the strong poജints of the Honda ওRC212V 2010 and what needs improving?

Andrea Dovizioso:
It's easier to ride than last year's machine, which is the most important. It is more balanced and a little easie🉐r to control, but that is still its weakest point because it's not easy enough.

The 800cc MotoGP machines need to be easy to ride to the limit, not like the 990cc, which were🍸 so powerful and heavy that ꧃you skidded and that was normal. These machines need you to be very accurate and must be easy to control in order to maintain the pace.

The machine is fast, but it's not eꦗasy to clock up good times and that's a big problem for today's MotoGP machines.

As well as being a l💛ittle faster, that's where Valentino's [Rossi] advantage is, because they don't seem to have to make such an effort to get good times and they can maintain them more easily. It's important to become more consistent and then🍬 we'll focus on that little bit of extra speed we need.

Q:
Have any of the ro🍬okies surpri🦋sed you in these tests?

Andrea Dovizioso:
Here; not realꦗly. In Valencia, Spies surprised me, but I haven't seen him much here.

Q:
This season there will be five Italians in MotoGP, with Simoncelli joining a Honda satellite tea🐻m; it is something that affects you in any way?

Andrea Dovizioso:
No,🥂 it's nice. Last year, there were five of us and it's nice that there are so many Italians, esp𝓰ecially riders that I've known since I rode in mini-motos.

Q:
Will you be ready in time for the first race ꦑof the season; the team, the machine and𒁃 you?

Andrea Dovizioso:
We'll have to do the Qatar test to know for sure. I can't say that it's ready to win but we will be ready earlier𒊎 and better than last year. Many things change during the season because everything is different in the races. We're much better prepared than a year ago and I'm very happy about that. It's not enough to be able to say that I'm going to play for the world championship, but it's what we are working for.

Q:
How did the new machine perform in the r✨ace simulation?

Andrea Dovizioso:
I di🌸d 16 or 17 laps and it wasn't perfect, because the conditions were very extreme [hot]. For the rider, it's important to do a simulation because they are very tough conditions and secondly, the performance of the machine changes a lot and many different problems arise.