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Andrea Dovizioso: I Am Glad Not to Be The First Fiddle Any Longer

Many perhaps see the arrival of Jorge Lorenzo at Ducati as a demotion for the team's current top rider, Andrea Dovizioso. Well, they'll most likely be surprised to learn that the Italian is in no way feeling blue but is rather relieved for not having to cope with the demands his current position comes with.
Andrea Dovizioso 6 photos
Photo: motogp.com
Andrea DoviziosoAndrea DoviziosoAndrea DoviziosoAndrea DoviziosoAndrea Dovizioso
In a recent interview, Dovizioso reveals that he doesn't feel demoted in the team. The Italian rider says that having a teammate such a Jorge Lorenzo, who is one of the "alien" riders and a three-time MotoGP World Champion is more of an opportunity for him.

Dovi is aware that Ducati spent a fortune to convince Lorenzo to leave Yamaha, the most successful team in the championship and the best motorcycle on the track and venture into the unknown with a bike and a team he knows nothing about.

When the new teammate has far greater achievements and a wage that's probably ten times bigger, any pretentions to occupying the top rank are laughable at best, if not downright ridiculous, Dovizioso believes.

However, the funniest aspect of the entire new layout of Team Ducati from 2017 is the fact that Dovizioso seems almost happy not having to be the top rider. "Not having to play the first fiddle means that I don't have to act like one," Andrea Dovizioso adds.

He keeps on talking about the pressure that will be lifted from his shoulders and passed on to Lorenzo's, while he will be able to focus on becoming a better rider, knowing that he still has his aces up the sleeve. He concludes by saying that he just knows that all eyes will be on Lorenzo and people will have the greatest expectations from him. "I can certainly live with less pressure now. I have good prospects and a lot of good things to do at Ducati. I am serene now," Dovi adds.

The Italian rider appears to come to a better form and luck, after being forced to retire in three of the seven rounds of the 2016 championship. Currently, Andrea Dovizioso sits ninth in the world standings with 43 points, two more than his teammate Andrea Iannone and five down from Hector Barbera. Things could change for the better next weekend, as MotoGP reaches the Netherlands, at Assen, for the first time in history on a Sunday instead of the traditional Saturday.
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