Andrea Dovizioso: Internal battle helping Honda

 Andrea Dovizioso reckons the intense internal competition at HRC in 2011 is helping lift the performance of the impressive new RC212V machine.

Honda is going all-out to win the final 800cc world title with a four-pronged attack, with Italian Dovizioso joined by 2007 world champion Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa in the official Repsol-.backed factory team.

Former 250GP world champion Marco Simoncelli is also on a factory RC212V machine in the San Carlo Gresini Honda squad and Dovizioso says the internal battle between the quartet is a huge benefit to HRC.

The fierce rivalry between Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi helped Yamaha dominate MotoGP since 2008 with both pushing each other and development of the YZR-M1 to a higher level.

Dovizioso said: “Everyone wants to lead the lap times and each rider is pushing more and more and this is better for Honda. Also it is better to have internal competition to make the best result.”

Honda has dominated winter testing so far with Simoncelli fastest in the opening Sepang test at the beginning of February. That domination continued recently when Honda claimed the top four times at the second Sepang test, led by Aussie Stoner.
Dovizioso said it was clear that Honda was going into a new season in a stronger position than it has been since the final 990cc four-stroke world championship in 2006.

He added: “It seems that the 800 has always been a problem for Honda and it was difficult to get a really good bike like they had in 500s or 990s.  Now we arrive in a really good level confident we can fight for good results.”