British MotoGP: Andrea Dovizioso thrilled at maiden win

Andrea Dovizioso topped one of the most unlikely MotoGP podiums in recent memory to win his maiden premier class race at Donington Park yesterday.

The former world 125GP champion kept his nerve under intense late pressure from Colin Edwards and Randy de Puniet to win a pulsating 30-lap race that was run throughout in treacherous drizzly conditions.

Pressurising fellow Italian Valentino Rossi for the opening 20 laps of the race, Dovizioso’s debut MotoGP win and third success at Donington Park was there for the taking when the Fiat Yamaha rider crashed out at the Foggy Esses.

Rossi’s second race crash of 2009 left Repsol Honda rider Dovizioso nearly nine seconds of de Puniet and by lap he looked a dead cert winner with a comfortable 13.5s advantage over the Frenchman.

But without Rossi as a reference in front of him and unsure how hard he could push, Dovizioso suddenly began to slow dramatically, with de Puniet and Edwards close to four seconds faster as the race reached an exciting climax.

Just three laps remained when de Puniet and Edwards slashed the gap down to just over 1.5s, but looking like he might crumble under the pressure, Dovizioso responded superbly and never gave the pursuing duo a sniff of denying him victory.

Dovizioso, who hadn’t scored points in each of the previous three races heading into the British GP, said: “It’s a fantastic feeling to win my first MotoGP race because this is the top series in the world with the best riders and so to win is a fantastic emotion.

“I’m very pleased with my performance, as the conditions were so difficult. It was like three different races – riding hard at the start when it was nearly dry, following Valentino, as it got wetter, and then judging the pace once I was in front.

“I rode well in every section and managed the very tricky situation, so it’s really satisfying. This is also important for my confidence after the last three races.

“In the first three laps I took a lot of risks to maintain my position with the leaders because the tyres need two or three laps to get up to temperature.

“Once I was following Valentino it was quite easy because it’s not so difficult to follow someone in these conditions since the leader has to judge where it’s wet and where it’s dry.

“But when he fell it was clear from his crash that the tyres were very cold and this was scary because now I had to set the pace.

“Colin and Randy closed the gap quickly in the last five laps and at this point I was being careful and wasn’t pushing to the limit, but in the final two laps I pushed as hard as I could and they weren’t able to get close enough to try and pass.

“I’m so happy with this win, and we’ll use it to move forward. The important thing is to fight with the best riders in normal dry conditions so me and the team will work really hard to repeat this victory in the dry.”

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