Dovizioso still thinking ‘race by race’ despite taking championship lead

Andrea Dovizioso is refusing to think about the MotoGP championship despite taking a nine-point lead after winning the British Grand Prix.

The Ducati rider tallied up his fourth win of the 2017 season after passing Valentino Rossi for the lead on lap 18 of the race at Silverstone, and fending off a late charge from the sister Yamaha of Maverick Vinales.

After Marc Marquez suffered an engine failure on lap 14, Dovizioso’s victory put him back into the lead of the championship with a nine-point advantage to the Honda rider.

Convinced the championship is still between himself, Marquez, the factory Yamaha duo and Dani Pedrosa, Dovizioso believes it is still too early to be thinking about a potential first premier class title.

“Now it’s a little bit longer the (gap between the riders in the) championship, but I’m convinced until Dani it’s completely open, because every race can change everything,” he said.

“Look at Marc. The last few races he create a gap, (he) looks like the fastest. Today, he had bad luck.

“It’s completely open, but we speak too much about the championship. I don’t think still (it is) the right time.

“Everybody have to push 100 percent and try to get the maximum, because the difference of the points is still very close.

“Six races is a lot of points, so we have to think still race by race.”

Rossi: I’m not strong enough in the last laps to challenge

Rossi, who became the first rider in history to start 300 premier class grands prix, believes the M1’s high tyre wear is stopping him from being a title contender.

The Italian, who led for much of Sunday’s 20-lap race at Silverstone, slipped to third at the chequered flag after suffering a big drop-off in grip on his hard rear tyre.

Rossi and his team were able to make a small improvement with the YZR-M1’s tyre life, though he concedes more work is needed in this area.

“We still have to work for the last lap, but this weekend we improve and we understand something important,” he said.

“So we hope we can be strong in the last part of the race before the end of the championship.

“I have 26 points (deficit), it’s not a lot, and six races to go are a lot.

“But, for me, it will be difficult because I am not strong enough in the last laps for fight for the championship.

“I am not far, but I am fourth, so it is difficult.”