Andrea Dovizioso getting to grips with factory Honda

Andrea Dovizioso said he has a lot to learn after he made a successful start to his factory Honda career in Valencia.

• Get all the latest MotoGP news

The Italian got his first chance to assess Nicky Hayden’s 2008 spec RC212V, which he says has a lot more power and much more options to tweak electronic settings than those that featured on his satellite machine.

The former world 125 champion was eighth quickest on the opening day with a best time of 1.33.676 and he said: “The bike feels good, it feels like an evolution of my 2008 bike, like a step forward, which is what I expected, so I’m happy.

“Compared to my ’08 bike, the factory bike has many positive points, in particular the engine is both smoother and more powerful. Right from the start the stability at the front was very good.

“With the electronics, I need more time to learn and understand them, especially traction control, as there are so many settings. I also tried Bridgestone tyres for the first time, they seem fine, but I need to slightly adapt my riding style to get the best from them.

“All in all it was a positive first day but I still have a lot to learn. With my new team we start working step by step and I like this system.“